SEATTLE — The buzz is building for Sunday's Seahawks game against the San Francisco 49ers and the return of Marshawn Lynch.
It's like settling back into a familiar routine, but is Lynch physically ready for the game?
Coach Pete Carroll said Lynch has been working hard as he prepared for his return to the field. NFL.com reports Lynch trained in 16 intense sessions over eight days with a trainer in San Francisco.
KING 5 spoke with fans to get their take on the question: is Lynch ready?
“We'll find out. We're hopeful, though, right?” one fan told us.
“I think he's lucky to have this opportunity, he must be chomping at the bit to get in there,” another said. “He's been healthy this whole time, so he's not dinged up. If he hits the hole hard he can do some damage.”
“I doubt that he has the speed,” said a 49ers fan. “He's not going to be ready for those first few hits.”
Lionel Ballad is a trainer and owner of Academy Athletics in Belltown.
“It would be smart for the team to kind of ease him in. It's very common for people to get back in there their first time and get hurt their very first game, so I think the fans do need to realize that it's going to take some time,” he said.
Balland said a player can get up-to-speed quickly, under certain conditions.
“As long as he's been living a healthy lifestyle and staying kind of athletic like most people do, running a little bit, working out, doing some sprints here and there, he'll be able to acclimate to it a lot better than if he's just coming off the couch,” Balland said.
Lynch signed a deal for the rest of this season only, reported ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
You can watch the Seahawks play the 49ers on KING 5 Sunday. The Sunday Night Football pre-game coverage starts at 4 p.m. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:20 p.m.
You can also watch online here.