4 Options For Seahawks Starting RB Job

The Seattle Seahawks are mulling their options over what to do at the running back position this season, with Kenneth Walker III signing with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here's a look at each path the team could take when it comes to figuring out which running back works best.

Zach Charbonnet

If Charbonnet wasn't dealing with a torn ACL, he would immediately step into the starting job. Charbonnet actually had more snaps on offense last season than Walker, so the team is confident in playing him a considerable amount.

There is a good chance that when he does return from injury, that he will take over that role again, but there is no guarantee that he is going to have the same level of explosiveness that he had before.

George Holani

The Seahawks clearly like Holani and trusted him with the backup role when Charbonnet went down in the postseason. Seahawks general manager John Schneider has sung Holani's praises this offseason, but that doesn't necessarily mean he should be in line for the starting job.

Holani has only seen more than three carries in a game twice in his career. He ran the ball seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown in the team's blowout victory against the Arizona Cardinals earlier in the year. He also had 10 carries for 27 yards against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, which was also a blowout game.

Holani usually has not seen snaps in really close games, so it's hard to tell if he will be able to shoulder that responsibility this upcoming season.

Emanuel Wilson

The primary free agency add for the Seahawks at the running back position was former Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson. For the past three seasons, Emanuel Wilson has been growing for the Packers, and he ended up rushing the ball 125 times for 496 yards and three touchdowns for the Packers in the 2025 campaign.

Unlike Holani, Wilson has seen a considerable amount of work at points during his career. He started two games for the Packers this season and had a breakout game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12. During that game, Wilson filled in for an injured Josh Jacobs and ran the ball 28 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

It remains to be seen if Wilson will be able to replicate this in Seattle, but the past experience certainly gives him an edge in this category. If he has a good offseason, look for Wilson to be the lead back come Week 1.

Get a Rookie

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price during the NFL Scouting Combine. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Another likely possibility is that the team drafts a running back sometime in the first three rounds. The Seahawks currently do not have picks in the fourth or fifth round, as well as the seventh. Getting a running back should be part of their to-do list early in the draft.

Day 2 is usually a strong target for running backs in the draft, so players like Mike Washington Jr. from Arkansas, Notre Dame's Jadarian Price and Emmett Johnson from Nebraska come to mind as players that could become future Seahawks.

However, it is a lot to put that pressure on a rookie early in his career. Drafting a rookie makes sense for the Seahawks because Charbonnet will be a free agent at the end of the season, so it will be an investment for not just 2026, but 2027 and beyond.

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