Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Seahawks fans — Seattle has officially signed running back Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch arrived in town for a visit and physical on Monday, and coach Pete Carroll and the staff in the front office weren’t going to let him leave without a signed contract in hand.

The move, albeit a desperate one for Seattle, comes on the heels of the losses of both starter Chris Carson and backup running back C.J. Prosise, who suffered season-ending injuries in the Week 16 defeat against the Cardinals. Carson is out for the year with a hip fracture, Prosise with a broken arm.

The Seahawks followed up with the most prudent move possible, bringing back Lynch just in time for the team’s Week 17 battle against the 49ers, which will decide the NFC West. No other bruising back in the league could give Seattle the boost it needs to win the division Sunday night.

Although Lynch might be over a year removed from a football field — he last played Oct. 14, 2018, coincidentally against the Seahawks in Oakland — there’s no one else Seattle fans would rather see on the field in the prime-time matchup (5:20 p.m. PT).

Related A Marshawn Lynch reunion would give the Seahawks a shot in the arm

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