Must be Christmas--and playoff-push--time for the Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch visits

It must be Christmas — and playoff-push — time for the Seahawks.

Because Marshawn Lynch was here.

The legendary running back and soul of Seattle’s Super Bowl teams 10 years ago visited the team’s facility again this week.

He heartily greeted Mike Holmgren. the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl coach from the 2005 season. Holmgren is a finalist for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. Holmgren was in the building for his weekly talk with KJR-FM afternoon radio host Ian Furness.

Lynch, now 38, calls the 76-year-old Holmgren “Big Guy.”

Then Lynch went outside to the closed practice. Per pictures the team posted online, he talked and joked with DK Metcalf. Wearing a backpack over a vintage hoodie, Lynch went to where the running backs were drilling. He talked to Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh there.

When Lynch had coach Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks gathered around him, everyone was laughing.

Not a bad way for the first-place Seahawks (8-5) to practice days before they host the Green Bay Packers (9-4) Sunday night at Lumen Field (5:20 p.m., channel 5).

Seattle is four games left in the regular season from doing what Lynch did six times in his seven seasons playing for the Seahawks: make the playoffs.

‘Tis the season.

Lynch last played for the Seahawks at the end of the 2019 season. Like Santa, he arrived on Christmas Eve, to help an injury-depleted running-back corps for then-coach Pete Carroll. Upon arrival, he comically proclaimed “Merry New Year,” Eddie Murphy, “Trading Places” style.

He played through Seattle’s loss at Green Bay in the NFC divisional playoffs in January 2020. It was his last NFL game.

After it, he used a rare (for him) postgame press conference to advise younger players.

“Take care of y’all mentals, y’all bodies, y’all chicken,” Lynch said that night at Lambeau Field, “so when y’all ready to walk away, y’all walk away and you’ll be able to do what y’all want to do.”

This week wasn’t the first time Lynch has been around the Seahawks this season. He showed up on the field for the season-opening game.

As only Lynch would.

He was visiting along with former Super Bowl-champion teammates Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor plus Hall-of-Famer Steve Largent for the team’s throwback game Sept. 8.

With 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the first quarter and the game with Denver tied at 3, Macdonald was preparing to call a defensive play.

The one-and-only Lynch walked up to Macdonald along the edge of the field.

Lynch began rubbing the bottom of the intense coach’s neck and top of his shoulders. Then he joked with Macdonald.

The stunned coach gave what appeared to be a nervous, if not forced, smile. Then he laughed. He kept looking down at his call sheet of defensive plays.

“Is that what he did?” Macdonald said after the game. “I guess I blacked out.”

It was so Lynch.

It was so not Macdonald.

It was the most unexpected thing the NFL’s youngest head coach experienced in his first game in charge, the Seahawks’ 26-20 win over the Broncos.

“Yeah, never had a former player talk to me mid-game,” Macdonald, the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, said. “It’s pretty cool.”

But...

“I was like, ‘We have another three quarters to play!’”

Macdonald laughed.

“It’s awesome. He’s one of my favorite players of all time. He’s incredible. Yeah, funny. Came up right behind me. I found myself talking to him as they were taking the field.

“I was like, ‘Oh, shoot! I need the call on first down!”

On Thursday, Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was asked if Lynch at his practice visit gave neck rubs to the team’s assistant coaches, too.

“No,” Grubb said.

“That’s just for Mike.”