Team awaits Marshawn Lynch’s status for Monday vs. DET; pal Fred Jackson thinks hamstring must be “severe” for there to be doubt

The Seahawks are preparing to wait perhaps until kickoff of Monday night’s home game against Detroit to determine whether Marshawn Lynch will be able to play or miss just his second game in six seasons because of a hamstring injury.

His best friend on the team who has shared backfields with him in Buffalo and now Seattle figures the injury must be serious for there to even be a doubt.

“Oh, man, if he’s questioning it, you know, it’s a severe injury,” Seahawks running back Fred Jackson said before Thursday’s practice.

“He wants to be out there and contribute as bad as anybody. We’ll take it day to day and see how it goes. And if we get him out there, if we are fortunate enough to have him on Monday, it makes us better as a team.

“If not, you know, we’ve got to pick up the slack.”

Lynch had a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his hamstring Monday, the day after he missed the first 12 minutes and then final two quarters of the shutout win over Chicago. Coach Pete Carroll said it will likely take through the weekend to determine whether Lynch or undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls will be the lead runner against the Lions.

“It’s going to take us all week to figure it out, and see how it is,” Carroll said.

Asked if it was the type of injury that might lead the Seahawks to be conservative in not playing Lynch now for the long haul of 13 games still left in the regular season and potentially beyond, Carroll said: “We’ll just wait and see. We don’t need to make any big declarations right now.

“We are just waiting and gathering information on where he is. I know he wants to play and we are going to try to do that. We’ll see how it goes all the way through. It may go all the way ‘til game time.”

Carroll said Seattle is not going to change its power run-based philosophy if Lynch can’t play. Rawls ran for 104 yards on 16 carries against Chicago.

The coach left open the possibility Jackson gets an increased role on first and second downs. The Seahawks signed the 34-year-old former lead runner for the Bills in August to be their third-down back for the passing game.

Jackson’s all for whatever role against Detroit. He has five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown plus five carries for 26 yards rushing through his first three Seahawks games.

“I’m always prepared as if I’m the No. 1 guy,” Jackson said.

“I’ll be prepared for whatever it is they need me to do.”

▪ Carroll said NT Brandon Mebane may also be a game-time decision because of a groin injury he got in the first half against Chicago. Jordan Hill replaced him last week and played well.

▪ The coach said reserve cornerback Tharold Simon and safety/special-teams player Steven Terrell remain out injured and unlikely to play. Carroll said defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs’ shoulder injury may cause him to miss the Lions game.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Team awaits Marshawn Lynch’s status for Monday vs. DET; pal Fred Jackson thinks hamstring must be “severe” for there to be doubt."