Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider dropped a hint at the NFL combine about how negotiations with running back Kenneth Walker III might go.
Speaking with reporters in Indianapolis, Schneider said that while the Seahawks would love to re-sign the Super Bowl LX MVP, they had to operate with their entire team in mind. He meant that they weren’t going to engage in a bidding war — even with one of the NFL’s healthiest salary cap situations — lest they hamper their ability to keep other pieces of their championship roster intact.
So it came as little surprise when the Seahawks let Walker leave for a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs minutes after the negotiating window opened last Monday. It was unlikely that Seattle was going to pay top-five running back money for someone who split snaps with Zach Charbonnet in 2025 and probably would have remained in a timeshare in 2026.
Schneider & Co. took a similarly disciplined approach with safety Coby Bryant, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Bears. Those losses plus the expected departures of cornerback Riq Woolen and outside linebacker Boye Mafe position the Seahawks to receive a projected four compensatory picks in 2027, according to OverTheCap.
As sensible as those decisions were, they leave the Seahawks with some holes to fill, including a need for speed in their post-Walker backfield.
After adding a power runner in ex-Green Bay Packer Emanuel Wilson to pair with George Holani and Charbonnet — who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the playoffs — Seattle now has to find someone to recoup some of the home-run-hitting ability that’s missing with Walker gone.
The Seahawks did not make a serious run at signing Tyler Allgeier, according to a source close to the situation, despite speculation prior to free agency that linked Seattle to the former Atlanta Falcons back. They watched one potential target in the Washington Commanders’ Chris Rodriguez Jr. sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, then added Wilson on a one-year deal that’s worth up to $2.1 million.
Undrafted in 2023 out of Division II Fort Valley State in George, Wilson spent his first three seasons in Green Bay. As a backup to Josh Jacobs over the last two, he combined for 998 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 228 carries (4.4 average), adding 147 receiving yards and a touchdown on 26 catches in that span.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds, Wilson looks better suited to help replace Charbonnet’s power running style than to replicate Walker’s explosiveness.
“Our pro staff did a great job evaluating, identifying Emanuel and just saying, here’s this 230-pound guy with great feet,” Schneider said on his Seattle Sports 710-AM radio show. “You sign a one-year deal like that, it’s kind of like, come on in, come be part of our culture, come prove it, see what you can do and compete with the group. He gives us a little bit something different. He’s a heavy runner, and [we’re] excited about him.”
The Seahawks will continue to add to their backfield, which will likely be without Charbonnet for a good chunk of 2026.
Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald have both expressed optimism about Charbonnet’s prognosis after surgery to repair the torn ACL. But that surgery didn’t take place until late February, which means there’s still a chance he isn’t ready until the second half of next season.
“If it was up to Charbs, he probably would have just braced it up and played the last two games,” Schneider told the station. “Again, he’s a true pro. He’s so strong and his work ethic is outstanding. … The surgery went very well and the outlook is good. I’m sure he’s going to attack his rehab like he always does.”
Twice on his weekly radio show, Schneider has praised Holani for the job he did in the playoffs after assuming the No. 2 role when Charbonnet went down. The production wasn’t eye-popping — 44 scrimmage yards on nine touches in two games — but Holani was effective as a receiver out of the backfield and provided what Schneider called “elite” pass protection.
“The one thing that got overlooked in those last two games — and I was talking to Mike Macdonald about this — George, he was awesome in the NFC title game and Super Bowl,” Schneider said. “Every time he goes in the game he just performs.”
The Seahawks believe Holani has the ability to handle RB2 duties full time. But the 2024 undrafted free agent also isn’t known as the kind of big-play threat that Walker has been over his four NFL seasons. Including playoffs, Walker’s 34 career carries of 20-plus yards are fourth most among running backs in that span.
Despite running the ball at the NFL’s highest rate, the Seahawks ranked fifth during the regular season with 75 plays of 20-plus yards. Their eight plays of at least 50 yards were second most (Patriots had 10).
After losing Walker, they made a significant move to maintain some of that explosiveness when they re-signed wide receiver/Pro Bowl kick returner Rashid Shaheed for three years and $51 million. Shaheed gives Seattle a big-play complement to Cooper Kupp’s chain-moving skill set as secondary options behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
If Horton can stay healthy after his rookie season was cut short by a knee injury, the Seahawks’ receiver corps shouldn’t be lacking for speed. But it’s less clear where that will come from in their backfield. Kenny McIntosh could be one answer, but the 2024 seventh-round pick is recovering from an ACL tear after missing time with a different knee injury as a rookie.
The Dolphins’ roster purge has led some to wonder about a potential trade for De’Von Achane, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this week that Miami has told interested teams that the fourth-year speedster is not available.
That means that the draft — where they currently have just four picks — might be the Seahawks’ likeliest path to filling their backfield’s need for speed. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid recently projected the Seahawks to draft Mike Washington Jr., a running back out of Arkansas, in the second round of his latest mock draft.
“We love the guys on our team right now, but we will be continuing to look at that position,” Schneider said.
