Lynch questionable against Bears
Chancellor expected to be in the lineup and could play the full game
The Seattle Seahawks on Friday officially listed running back Marshawn Lynch as questionable for Sunday’s game against Chicago with a calf injury suffered last Sunday against Green Bay.
Head coach Pete Carroll said Lynch will be a game-time decision after he sat out practice Friday. For what it’s worth, players who get the questionable designation on the final injury report for the Seahawks usually end up playing.
Carroll also said after Friday’s practice that safety Kam Chancellor, who ended his 54-day holdout Wednesday, is on track to play against the Bears, though he said a final determination will not be made until Saturday.
The Seahawks will have to make a roster move Saturday to add Chancellor to the 53-man active roster. He was practicing this week after the team received an exemption.
As for Lynch, Carroll said “he’s got a calf that we’re working on. We’ve been able to condition him some but we just wanted to make sure and take care of him during the week. He’ll run tomorrow (Saturday) and we’ll see if he’s OK. But it will go all the way to game day.”
Lynch sat out the second series of the third quarter against Green Bay with what Carroll said after the game was a neck injury. But Lynch returned to play the rest of the game.
Carroll said Friday the calf injury happened in the Green Bay game as well.
Lynch did not practice Wednesday and then practised on a limited basis Thursday, with Carroll saying the team wanted to get him enough work to keep him in shape.
Lynch has not missed a game since the 2011 season when he sat out against Cleveland with a back issue. He is regularly listed on the team’s injury report during the week since he usually takes at least Wednesday off as a rest day.
If he cannot play then Fred Jackson and Thomas Rawls will handle the duties at tailback against the Bears. The team signed the 34-year-old Jackson as a free agent before the first game of the season. Jackson scored a touchdown on a five-yard pass against the Packers. Rawls made the roster as an undrafted free agent and has played in both games.
As for Chancellor playing against Chicago, Carroll said “we’ll figure it all out tomorrow (Saturday) but we are planning on doing that, yeah.”
Carroll said Chancellor looked “very normal” in practice this week. “Looked just like he always looked. A real credit to the work that he did while he was home. He’s in great shape and he looked terrific. I think we’ll find out tomorrow if the three days back-to-back-to-back (of practice) how he came out of it and then we’ll make our final decision. But the plan is for him to play.”
Carroll didn’t rule out Chancellor playing all four quarters in his first live action since the Super Bowl Feb. 1.
“I don’t think it’s unrealistic,’ Carroll said. “I think he certainly could. Whether it’s the right thing to do or not, we need to determine that.”
The Seahawks officially listed cornerback Tharold Simon and safety/cornerback Steven Terrell out. Simon is dealing with a dislocated toe while Terrell suffered a hip flexor injury against Green Bay.
As for Simon’s dislocated toe, Carroll said, “He tried really hard to get back last week and was able to get in the game but he’s just not ready to withstand the play ... he’ll be back next week for sure.”
Tight end Luke Willson was also listed as questionable with a hip injury.
Everybody else was listed as probable or better. That includes linebacker Mike Morgan, a key special teams player, who missed the first two games with a pulled hamstring.
“We’re really pleased he’s finally coming back,” Carroll said.