Marshawn Lynch was listed as active going into their 4:25 home opener against the Chicago Bears, yet he started the game on the sidelines. This is not a completely foreign sight, as Lynch has occasionally taken the first few drives off as he continues to get loose when dealing with a nagging injury. What was surprising was that after coming in and getting five rushes for 14 yards and a nine yard reception, he did not see the field again.
Speculation started running wild pretty quickly. Was this going to be a serious hamstring or calf pull that would put Lynch on the shelf for a few weeks? Well, reports indicate that this is not the case. According to Pete Carroll, Lynch simply could not get ready again after halftime. Lynch has his routine and he couldn't get through it. Carroll does not foresee this being anything serious that will cause Beast Mode to miss any extended period of time, and that he isn't alarmed. To be fair, Carroll is not the most objective source of information here, though the report seems congruent with Lynch's sideline demeanor and activity.
While Fred Jackson only saw four touches during the game, rookie Thomas Rawls ran well in Lynch's absence, finishing with 16 carries for 104 yards.