Seahawks Place RB Kenny McIntosh on Injured Reserve With Torn ACL
Injuring his knee during the fourth training camp practice, the Seattle Seahawks will be without Kenny McIntosh for the entirety of the 2025 season. Credit: Kenny McIntosh/Instagram
After suffering a torn ACL during Saturday’s fourth training camp practice, the Seattle Seahawks have placed running back Kenny McIntosh on injured reserve, ending his 2025 season in July.
In a corresponding move, Seattle signed undrafted rookie running back D.K. Kaufman to fill the team’s open 90-man roster spot. The former North Carolina State standout participated in the team’s rookie minicamp back in May.
McIntosh injured his knee during a special teams drill, making contact with another player while running downfield in the early stages of Saturday’s practice. He wasn’t able to put any weight on his left leg and required help from multiple members of the training staff to get off of the field.
A third-year back out of Georgia, the Seahawks drafted McIntosh in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. A sprained knee suffered during the team’s mock scrimmage game led to him missing most of his rookie year, as he returned in the second half and suited up for three games without any offensive snaps. Last year, with starter Ken Walker III banged up late in the season, he ran for 172 yards on 31 carries, averaging a healthy 5.5 yards per carry.
Aside from seeing increased action on offense late in his second season, McIntosh caught three passes for 22 yards and also averaged 25.5 yards per kick return on six kick return opportunities on special teams. He was expected to vie for Seattle’s third down back role against rookie Damien Martinez and second-year runner George Holani along with being in the mix for kick and punt return duties.
With McIntosh now officially sidelined for the season, Martinez now has a golden opportunity to carve out a role as a third running back for the Seahawks after an impressive college career where he ran for over 1,000 yards at both Oregon State and Miami. He will have to prove himself as a capable receiving option and improve in blitz pickup, however, as Holani excelled in both of those areas in the preseason last year after signing as an undrafted rookie out of Boise State.
Getting his first crack at playing for a roster spot in the NFL, Kaufman began the transition from safety to running back when he participated in the Seahawks rookie minicamp a few months ago. He bounced around in college, starting at Vanderbilt before spending three seasons at Auburn and wrapping up his eligibility with one year at North Carolina State, finishing with 196 tackles, three sacks, and three interceptions in five seasons.
The 5-10, 200-pound Kaufman also impressed as a punt returner for the Wolfpack last season, returning 15 punts for 469 yards and a whopping 31.3 yards per return average. With the Seahawks actively looking for upgrades in the return game, his skill in that department could give him a viable avenue to try to win a spot on the 53-man roster despite being a late addition midway through camp.
