Seahawks Sign Emanuel Wilson, Add Punishing Runner to Backfield Mix
Three days after watching Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III take his talents to the Kansas City Chiefs on a record-setting deal, the Seattle Seahawks have finally added to their new-look backfield in free agency.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Seahawks have signed former Packers running back Emanuel Wilson to a one-year contract. Multiple reports indicate the deal will be worth up to $2.1 million with incentives.
The 26-year-old Wilson broke into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after taking quite the unconventional path to the NFL. Lightly recruited out of high school, he started his college career at Johnson C. Smith University, a Division II program in Charlotte, North Carolina. After not playing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he transferred to another Division II school in Fort Valley State, where he rushed for 1,371 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022 before deciding to go pro.
Wilson initially signed with the Broncos, only to be released three days later. He latched on with the Packers, earning a spot on the 53-man roster after an excellent preseason, rushing 14 times for 85 yards before being placed on injured reserve. Taking on a bigger role behind Josh Jacobs in 2024, he rushed for 502 yards and four touchdowns while averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per carry and forcing 27 missed tackles, setting him up to be the primary backup last season.
Making his first two career starts for Green Bay, Wilson shined in a 23-6 victory over rival Minnesota, rushing for a career-best 107 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He finished the year with 496 rushing yards and three touchdowns while adding 15 catches for 99 yards out of the backfield, forcing 17 missed tackles and averaging 3.06 yards per carry after contact.
Built with a powerful 226-pound frame, Wilson isn’t a burner, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds at his pro day coming out of Fort Valley State and only had one designed run netting 15-plus yards last year. He also had a dismal 3% breakaway run rate, which ranked 57th out of 58 qualified running backs, per Pro Football Focus.
But those numbers may have been more of an aberration than what should be expected, as the Packers struggled to create running room for their backs all of last year behind an underachieving, banged-up offensive line. One season earlier, Wilson had seven designed runs of 15-plus yards for the Packers and his breakaway run rate eclipsed 24% with a similar workload, showing he can rip off explosive runs to go with his punishing style running between the tackles.
Wilson has also been outstanding in regard to ball security, fumbling only one time in his three NFL seasons, something that likely stood out as a major plus to the Seahawks.
Looking at where Wilson fits into Seattle’s plans, based on his contract alone, it appears the team has earmarked him for some of the carries lost with Zach Charbonnet expected to miss at least half the 2026 season while recovering from a torn ACL. He should at minimum be utilized in short yardage and goal line packages, while a bigger workload could be possible if he outperforms the likes of George Holani and Kenny McIntosh, the top two incumbents on the roster.
Most likely, the Seahawks will deploy a by-committee approach with those three backs, mixing and matching their distinctly different skill sets in new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense. Wilson’s signing will not curtail the team from investing a draft choice at the position either. If the right player sits on the board as early as pick No. 32, general manager John Schneider won’t be afraid to pull the trigger as the team seeks a long-term answer to replace Walker.
But for now, without knowing what direction Seattle will go in next month’s draft and limited starting experience currently signed onto the roster, expect Wilson to be in the mix for significant carries and a potential uptick in opportunities compared to what he had in Green Bay behind Jacobs.
