George Holani is the Seahawks’ Solution at Running Back

Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani has a golden opportunity in front of him. Holani only has 83 career rushing yards in his first two NFL seasons, but that number should grow exponentially this season if he has a strong offseason and earns the starting running back job.

After Kenneth Walker III left in free agency to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL, Holani now appears as the top running back in the depth chart. There will be players that challenge him for that role, including free agent signee Emanuel Wilson and whichever running backs are brought into the building in the draft, but Holani should be viewed as a serious candidate for the team's lead running back job.

Holani saw 47 snaps in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl for the Seahawks, so the team is already comfortable putting him in intense situations. However, the role of a starting running back is very different than being a situational backup for two games as opposed to an entire season.

What separates Holani from other Seahawks running backs is his elite utility in pass protection, which Seattle relied on heavily during their Super Bowl run.

In his high-leverage postseason snaps, Holani didn't just exist on the field, he kept quarterback Sam Darnold upright and pushed the Seahawks on several scoring drives, allowing just one pressure, good for a 94 percent success rate.

Holani went undrafted two years ago out of Boise State, but he could get his big break with everything lining up the way it has for the Seahawks. Now, it's up to him to make the most of the opportunity that exists in front of him.

George Holani Emerges as Seahawks RB1 Following Kenneth Walker III's Exit to Kansas City Chiefs

Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani warms up before the NFC Championship Game. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is impressed with where the team currently sits at running back, and Holani is part of the reason why.

"I'll tell you this, I think people are kind of sleeping on the guys we have a little bit," Macdonald said via the team's website.

"I mean, George Holani played great for us down the stretch. What was the number on Charb's (Zach Charbonnet) touchdowns? I mean Zach's a great player. He's not going to miss the whole year. And then Kenny Mac (McIntosh) [will] be able to come back and then the guys we added. So, I'm excited about how that, room goes from here, and then, obviously, just like the rest of the team, any opportunity to take our team to the next level, we're going to look at it. So that's how John (Schneider) rolls."

McIntosh, who is coming off of a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2025 season, will also be someone in direct competition with Holani, but having a year off should give the Auckland, New Zealand native a chance to shine.

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