It's Now or Never For Seahawks RB Kenny McIntosh

Entering his contract year, Kenny McIntosh has two big injuries and less than two hundred scrimmage yards under his belt, so it’s now or never.

Seattle Seahawks Running Back Kenny McIntosh (25) attempts to break from the tackle at SoFi Stadium for the Seattle Seahawks. | William Navarro-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks had a legendarily strong 2023 draft, coming away with franchise cornerstone superstars in Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, quality role players like Derick Hall, Zach Charbonnet, and Anthony Bradford, and capable depth like Mike Morris and Olu Oluwatimi. But not every pick was a hit.

Cameron Young lingered on the roster for two years, scarcely playing, and is now out of the league. Jerrick Reed was sadly sacrificed for roster space last year and landed in Tennessee. And then, you have the frustrating, but still intriguing, Kenny McIntosh, taken just a couple dozen picks before Mr. Irrelevant, running back out of Georgia.

What He’s Brought

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kenny McIntosh (6) against the TCU Horned Frogs. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Despite being a member of the Seahawks for the last three seasons, McIntosh has very seldom seen the field. He got off on the wrong foot in his rookie season, missing the first two months with a knee injury and not taking the field on offense a single time. He tore his ACL in training camp last season, watching the team win Super Bowl LX without playing once.

The only thing McIntosh has done for the Seahawks so far was be an intriguing third string running back in the 2024 season. 31 carries, 172 yards, 3 catches, 22 yards, 6 kick returns, 153 yards. It seems like there’s something there. He was a great receiving back in college as well, hauling in 43 passes in 2022, with a unique set of skills. But it’s thin.

The Concern

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) runs for a gain during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears. | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Kenny entered the league as a speed-challenged running back to begin with. His 4.62 40 time at the combine spoke to a player who wasn’t going to be getting much done with straight-line speed. And now, he’s got a torn ACL on his ledger, which might exacerbate the issue. While he did have decent acceleration (1.54 10 yard split), that’s in question now too.

The other problem is the way the Seahawks have put their running back depth chart together this season. If the team was trotting Walker and Charbonnet out as the 1-2 again, McIntosh might have an easy and low-stress battle with Holani for the 3rd spot, which I think he could win due to his receiver skills. But that’s not the case.

The Seahawks need all hands on deck from the running backs this year. Their likely top man in Price is a rookie who didn’t even start in college, Holani has done even less in his career than McIntosh but proved something intriguing in the postseason, and Emmanuel Wilson has a decent track record as a backup in Green Bay and nothing more.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (58) and cornerback Carrington Valentine (24) tackle Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25). | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Simply put, the Seahawks can’t afford to hold any backs on the roster who aren’t going to make a meaningful impact. Even when Charbonnet gets back at some point, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to be the Charbonnet we know from previous seasons this year. McIntosh will have to show he’s ready for some action to make this team.

What To Expect

I think McIntosh is fighting an uphill battle to make the team. Jadarian Price is locked in, with George Holani and Emmanuel Wilson both striking me as more valuable right now than McIntosh, in this particular circumstance. Charbonnet comes back at some point, which might leave Holani or Wilson without a roster spot for all we know. So it’s the practice squad.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) reacts after a first down against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

I doubt there will be a lot of desire for McIntosh on the open market, so there’s every chance the team can get him there. But even on that level, there will be competition, with players like Jacardia Wright trying to make their case. One way or another, I think McIntosh will be left off the 53 man roster this year, although I doubt he goes down without a battle.

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