Mike Macdonald Discusses Seahawks Losing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III

Running back Kenneth Walker III was perhaps the Seattle Seahawks' biggest loss in free agency this offseason, especially since Zach Charbonnet is recovering from a torn ACL that will force him to at least miss part of the 2026 season.

Seattle signed Emanuel Wilson in free agency and still has George Holani and Kenny McIntosh to compete for the starting running back role, potentially, but it's hard to replace a Super Bowl MVP.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was asked about losing Walker and the state of the running back room at the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, on Monday.

Macdonald 'super happy' for Walker after signing with Chiefs

"You're like super happy for him," Macdonald said, per Seahawks.com reporter Ari Horton. "I mean, you see the work that he's put in, and it's not been like an even road for him the whole time. Some of the things he's dealt with health-wise, and some other things, but the guy played great football for us, helped us win a Super Bowl. And him and I got to spend some time like after, get a long drive down to the press conference after the game. We had some great conversations, but just happy for him. He was able to take care of his family. He's a great dude, a great football player. Really excited for him."

Walker earned himself a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Chiefs ($14.35 million APY) after his impressive playoff run that ended with a Super Bowl MVP award. He had a career-best 1,309 scrimmage yards on 252 touches and totaled 29 touches for 161 yards in Super Bowl LX.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Seahawks will now likely turn to a combination of Holani, Wilson and McIntosh in 2026, but they could also still add a rookie in the NFL Draft.

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

Holani has mostly been a special teams ace since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2024. Still, he's appeared in 16 games and totaled 25 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown in his career thus far.

McIntosh was a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks out of Georgia in 2023. He is also coming off a significant knee injury suffered in the 2025 preseason, but he had appeared in 20 games from 2023-24 and totaled 31 carries for 172 yards.

Wilson is the new addition, spending the first three years of his career with the Green Bay Packers. He's seen a fair amount of work, finishing the 2025 season with 125 carries for 496 yards and three touchdowns. The former undrafted free agent has also been a consistent receiver.

To the public, head coaches and general managers are always going to be optimistic about the players in the building. The Seahawks' additions at the position for the rest of the offseason will illustrate how they truly feel.

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