Seahawks Face Running Back Transition After Walker's Departure

Head coach Mike Macdonald discusses the team's options at the position amid injuries and departures.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 3:48am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a Seahawks running play, with sharp planes of navy blue, lime green, and silver overlapping to create a dynamic, abstract representation of the team's running game.A cubist interpretation of the Seahawks' running game transition, reflecting the team's need to reconstruct its backfield after the departure of a key player.Seattle Today

The Seattle Seahawks are facing a major transition at the running back position following the departure of Kenneth Walker III in free agency. Head coach Mike Macdonald discussed the team's current depth chart, which includes Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh, George Holani, and Emmanuel Wilson, with Charbonnet and McIntosh recovering from injuries. Macdonald expressed optimism about the team's options, but acknowledged the void left by Walker's production last season.

Why it matters

The Seahawks' running game was a key part of their offense last season, and the loss of Walker, who had over 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns, creates a significant hole that the team will need to fill. How they address the position through free agency, trades, or the draft will be crucial to their offensive success in the upcoming season.

The details

Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks' top back, is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered in the playoffs, while Kenny McIntosh tore his ACL last year and missed the entire 2025 season. That leaves George Holani and Emmanuel Wilson as the other running backs on the depth chart. Macdonald expressed confidence in Holani's performance at the end of last season, including in the playoffs, but acknowledged the team will need to be aggressive in getting Charbonnet and McIntosh back to full health.

  • Zach Charbonnet suffered an ACL injury in the playoffs last season.
  • Kenny McIntosh tore his ACL in 2025 and missed the entire season.

The players

Mike Macdonald

The head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Zach Charbonnet

The Seahawks' top running back, who is recovering from an ACL injury.

Kenny McIntosh

A Seahawks running back who tore his ACL in 2025 and missed the entire season.

George Holani

A Seahawks running back who played well at the end of last season, including in the playoffs.

Emmanuel Wilson

A Seahawks running back on the depth chart.

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What they’re saying

“Well, we have, you know, Kenny Mac and Zach are gonna be rehabbing, like, crazy, trying to get back. We're gonna be aggressive with that as best we can, but we're also gonna be as smart as we can to take care of them. So, when they're ready to go, they're ready to go.”

— Mike Macdonald, Head Coach

“I think what you saw from George Holani in the offseason, or really at the end of the season, Super Bowl, NFC championship, the guy played great football. So, we're always looking to make our team take the next step, but the guys we're having the building were excited for, and I'm pretty sure it's Zach Charbonnet scored, like, 14 touchdowns last year, so it was pretty good.”

— Mike Macdonald, Head Coach

The takeaway

The Seahawks face a significant challenge in replacing the production of Kenneth Walker III at running back, but they appear to have some promising options in Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, and others, if they can get their injured players back to full health. How they address this position will be crucial to their offensive success in the upcoming season.