San Francisco 49ers fans will see a familiar foe out on the field when their team faces the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Sunday night. Running back Marshawn Lynch has exited retirement and rejoined the Seahawks following season-ending injuries to both Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has never had to face Lynch during his time as the 49ers' coach since the running back spent his last two seasons (2017-18) with the Oakland Raiders. Lynch was already on injured reserve when Shanahan and the 49ers played the Raiders last season.
Lynch is expected to play on Sunday in a game that will determine the NFC West champion, and for the 49ers, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is on the line.
Shanahan was asked about the addition of Lynch, and what it means for Sunday's matchup.
"Not much," the coach responded. "I saw the backs they lost, so you knew they were going to sign someone, and they signed a good one. I know Marshawn will come in, and he'll be ready regardless of how much time he's had off. Marshawn's a competitor, he's a battler, so I think it was smart of them."
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said on Tuesday that the Lynch signing took him by surprise.
"The guy's a hell of a player," Garoppolo said. "I mean, he was unreal when he was playing, so we'll see what he's got. ... The guy's had an incredible career and everything. I've got to see him up close, and he's one of the best to ever do it."
Shanahan went on to note that the challenge of facing Lynch and also newly-signed Robert Turbin will depend on what kind of shape the two running backs are in. The 49ers coach seemed to believe that both will be able to contribute immediately because of the position they play.
"I do think it's a little different with the running back position," Shanahan said. "There's a lot that goes into people understanding the scheme and the game plan and everything, but you can use a running back a lot easier, just depending on if you're handing him the ball and he needs to run. So you can get guys up to speed a lot faster that way.
"The rest will just be how much they've worked out, which keeps them in shape. No one's in football shape (with this much time off), but I don't think those guys are planning on any single guy carrying the load the whole game. The football shape and how they react will probably be more of an issue for them the next week than the first week."
