No one is sure what to expect from newly-signed Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch in his first game since October 14, 2018. Lynch, who spent six seasons (2010-15) in Seattle, reunites with Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson for the team's final game of the season and impending playoff push after injuries decimated the Seahawks' running back position.
The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for Lynch at his best, according to general manager John Lynch, who joined KNBR on Friday morning. Lynch, the GM, remembers playing against Lynch, the running back, as an NFL safety before his broadcasting and executive careers.
"I think it's good for the game," Lynch told Kerry Crowley. "Marshawn's been a fantastic player and a really interesting character. We've had the running joke that we're cousins, and I remember the first time I tackled him, that's exactly what he said to me. He looked up and said, 'Hey cuz. I keep telling him we're cousins. They don't believe me.' So the fact that Marshawn is still around, I think that's fantastic.
"Something tells me when a guy's been away from football, that's difficult. But something about his style, I think we'd better be prepared. And I can tell you, what our guys have prepared for is Marshawn at his best, and we have to expect that.
"We'll see where it goes, and I think the initial energy in that stadium that he'll bring and that they'll bring to him, he's going to come with it. We'd better be ready, and I believe our guys will be."
Lynch, the running back, spent his last two seasons with the Oakland Raiders before announcing his decision to retire following the 2018 season. He has 10,379 rushing yards on 2,441 attempts with 84 rushing touchdowns through his 11 NFL seasons.
Lynch's last game against the 49ers came in 2015 when he racked up 122 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 carries in a 20-3 Seahawks win.
You can listen to the entire conversation with John Lynch below.