Analysis: Is Seahawks’ Backfield Situation Post-Ken Walker III’s Exit Better Than Perceived?
As expected to happen for a defending Super Bowl champion, the Seattle Seahawks have lost several key players from their championship squad to open the free agency period this week with other teams eager to add talent in a league built around the premise of parity.
Arguably the most notable departure for Seattle, Super Bowl LX MVP Ken Walker III received a record-setting free agent deal for a running back, signing the dotted line to join the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal worth up to $45 million with nearly $30 million in guaranteed salary. This loss would have stung for the Seahawks no matter what, but the potential negative impact of the four-year starter’s exit was further exacerbated by Zach Charbonnet suffering a torn ACL during the team’s playoff run and not undergoing surgery until late February, likely sidelining him until at least October, if not longer.
In the aftermath of Walker bolting, which happened mere minutes into the NFL’s tampering period on Monday, the Seahawks were linked to the likes of Tyler Allgeier, Kenneth Gainwell, and Rico Dowdle, only for those three players to quickly sign elsewhere as the free agent running back crop rapidly got picked down before the new league year officially began. Other veterans such as Rachaad White remained available, but wound up signing with other teams as well, much to the frustration of fans wondering when the team would make move to try to bolster the backfield.
Finally, by mid-afternoon on Thursday, the Seahawks zeroed in on reinforcements, signing former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson to a one-year deal worth up to $2.1 million. Formerly starring at Division II Fort Valley State and latching on with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2023, he rushed for 496 yards and three touchdowns last season behind starter Josh Jacobs, including a breakout 107-yard, two touchdown performance in a 23-6 win over Minnesota. He eclipsed 500 rushing yards with four touchdowns in 2024 as well.
As general manager John Schneider noted to hosts Bob Stelton and Dave Wyman on his weekly show on Seattle Sports 710 on Thursday, the 226-pound Wilson brings great energy and “little bit of something different” to the team’s backfield arsenal as a complementary battering ram with underrated explosiveness for a back of his size.
“Our pro staff did a great job evaluating (and) identifying Emanuel and just saying, hey, here’s this 230-pound guy with great feet,” Schneider said. “And you sign a one-year deal like that, it’s kind of like a, come on in, come be part of our culture. Kind of like, come prove it, see what you can do and compete with a group. And he gives us a little bit of something different. He’s a heavy runner.”
Having never been a full-time starter in the NFL, the Seahawks likely won’t be counting on Wilson to come in and emerge as their new bell cow in the backfield. But his presence as a downhill punisher should complement the rest of the team’s stable of backs on the roster, which Schneider and company may be higher on than analysts and fans based on their lack of aggression pursuing a replacement for Walker in the early stages of free agency.
In particular, Schneider has brought up third-year runner George Holani by name on multiple occasions unprompted since the offseason started heating up, including during his press availability at the NFL combine last month. Unprompted once again, the Executive of the Year winner gushed about the former Boise State star again on Thursday, touting his pass protection skills and clutch receptions subbing in for Charbonnet behind Walker during wins over the Rams and Patriots in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl.
“The one thing that got overlooked… He was awesome in the NFC Championship Game and he was awesome in the Super Bowl,” Schneider smiled. “His pass protection and he made that great eight-yard catch for a first down [versus the Rams] that was a real huge play for us. Every time he goes in the game, he just performs.”
Though Holani hasn’t had a ton of opportunities on offense in two NFL seasons and spent time on injured reserve twice in that span, when he has been available and the Seahawks have called his number, he has delivered. On special teams, he recovered a loose ball in the end zone against the Steelers for a touchdown on a kickoff when the return man failed to catch the ball. Thrust into action in the second quarter of a Week 10 home win against the Cardinals, he took a pitch for a nine-yard touchdown run in the red zone, making former coordinator Klint Kubiak look like a genius.
And, as Schneider pointed out with a big smile, immediately after coming off injured reserve, Holani stonewalled blitzers on numerous occasions to keep Sam Darnold upright in the final two playoff games. When the quarterback needed to dump the ball off to his back, the California native reeled in four catches for 34 yards in those contests, including a 13-yard catch late in the second quarter of the NFC Championship Game that set up a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Showcasing a well-rounded skill set needed to be a three-down back on the biggest stage, with Walker now gone and Charbonnet in the midst of a lengthy recovery from knee surgery, Holani may have earned himself a shot at a much larger role in 2026. But he won’t be the only player eager to take advantage of the opportunity, as Kenny McIntosh will be back in the fold after missing the entire 2025 season recovering from his own torn ACL suffered in training camp.
Before going down on a special teams drill in the early stages of camp, McIntosh looked poised to push Charbonnet for snaps behind Walker after a stellar finish to his sophomore season. Finally getting a chance to show off his rushing chops, the ex-Georgia standout rushed 31 times for 172 yards, averaging a fantastic 5.5 yards per carry. He also caught three passes for 22 yards on limited chances in the passing game, an area where he has always excelled dating back to college.
Like Holani, durability has been a significant issue for McIntosh since the Seahawks invested a seventh round pick in him three years ago in the same draft where they also selected Charbonnet, as he missed most of his rookie season with a knee sprain and didn’t receive a single carry. But when healthy, he’s another versatile back with three-down capabilities who offers a slashing running style and should be a solid fit in new coordinator Brian Fleury’s zone-centric offensive scheme.
Along with Holani, McIntosh, and the newly-signed Wilson, Seattle has a few other intriguing options under contract. Velus Jones Jr. has legitimate 4.3 speed and the converted receiver flashed that burst in limited action as a practice squad callup last season, while Cam Akers formerly started for the Rams and has second round pick pedigree. Meanwhile, 228-pound masher Jacardia Wright will be back from an injury after beating out seventh round pick Damien Martinez for a spot on the practice squad last summer following an impressive preseason.
Aside from Akers, who hasn’t started an NFL game since 2024 with the Texans, the Seahawks don’t have much experience to lean on in their reconfigured running back group, which may be the bigger concern than sheer talent. Holani and McIntosh have fewer than 70 combined NFL carries and no starts to their name with a combined four injured reserve designations between them, while Wilson only started twice for the Packers and neither Jones nor Wright has a single start either.
From that perspective, Schneider would be taking a major roll of the dice moving into the 2026 season with the stable of backs as currently assembled. But the draft still looms next month and even with Seattle only having four picks at this time, it’s likely - if not inevitable - that the team will invest one of those selections on a potential long-term starting running back who offers a bit more juice as a big play threat than anyone else on the roster.
With it only being March 13 and Schneider making it clear on Thursday that the Seahawks aren’t done scouring the free agent market either, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team added another ball carrier to the mix in coming days. Regardless of what additional moves are made, however, his public comments coupled with how the team has handled the running back position thus far serve as strong indicators that the organization has plenty of confidence in Holani, McIntosh, and the talent already under contract in house.
“That’s an area [where] we like our guys, we love the guys on our team right now, but we’ll be continuing to look at that position.”
