Why Seattle Seahawks RBs could see roles expanded under Klint Kubiak

The Seattle Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald as head coach in 2024, and he brought in former Washington Huskies assistant Ryan Grubb as his offensive coordinator. Their partnership didn't last long as Grubb departed Seattle after just one season and now holds the same title for Alabama, where he rejoined former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Seattle replaced Grubb with Klint Kubiak, who spent last season as the offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints. For those who wonder what that could mean for the offense this season, they might want to prepare to see more involvement from the running back position.

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A graph from Football Insights shows that over the past two seasons, Alvin Kamara was the highest-targeted running back in the NFL with more than 20% of the New Orleans Saints' passes going his way. While Kubiak was only there for one of those two seasons, he proved that he likes to get the backs involved in the passing game.

Alvin Kamara still a PPR machine through 2024 pic.twitter.com/EDIxdgBuMZ
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) July 3, 2025

Kamara finished 2024 with 950 yards and six touchdowns on the ground while adding an impressive 68 receptions for 543 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Seattle has two backs capable of putting up similar numbers, with Kenneth Walker III recording 299 yards on 46 receptions and Zach Charbonnet catching 42 passes for 340 yards. With two capable backs and a suspect O-line, look for Kubiak to ramp up the short-passing games — which would benefit players such as Walker and Charbonnet.

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet runs for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

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