Coaches, teammates expect Seahawks' Lynch to carry full workload

Marshawn Lynch needed only one practice session to convince his coaches and teammates that he's ready for a full workload when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Minnesota Vikings in Saturday's NFC wild-card game.

“If he’s going, that’s what I would expect,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell told reporters Wednesday of the idea of Lynch having 20-25 carries. “I expect him to be full go, full speed and just do like we normally do.”

It was the first practice for Lynch since undergoing abdominal surgery on Nov. 25. Although Lynch has not played since rushing for 42 yards on eight carries against Arizona on Nov. 15, offensive line coach Tom Cable also sees no reason why the veteran running back can't slide back into his accustomed role.

“Well I think when you understand who he is — he’s a pro. And so he hasn’t been out doing nothing," Cable said. "He’s been working to get ready to go play football again and recover. And so once we got through recovery, the workouts he’s doing are very extreme, and then you watch him work today — he’s on it.” 

Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman offered another reason why the Seahawks have so much faith in Lynch and why they had no issue with the star running back rehabbing his injury away from the team and with his personal training staff in San Francisco.

“The man in the mirror,” Sherman said. “At the end of the day he wants to look in the mirror and be able to say, ‘I gave my all. I went out there and put on as much as I could for my teammates.’ That’s the kind of guy he is.

“That’s why guys don’t worry or stress about Marshawn not being here when he’s rehabbing or when he’s hurt," Sherman added. "We don’t panic because we know that guy is one of the best teammates you would ever have, playing for any team, any level, any sport, and he will do whatever he can to help this team win."