Seahawks place Kenny McIntosh on IR, convert safety to RB as replacement

Two days after running back Kenny McIntosh went down in practice with a suspected torn ACL on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks placed him on injured reserve and signed an undrafted rookie as his replacement, the team announced.

Seattle signed D.K. Kaufman, who played safety in college but will convert to running back in training camp. Kaufman (listed at 5-foot-10, 204 pounds in college), who participated in the Seahawks' rookie minicamp as a tryout player, wrapped up his five-year college career with NC State in 2024, totaling 74 tackles, four pass deflections, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception returned for a touchdown.

Kaufman played a limited running back role in high school, but never received any touches at his college stops with Vanderbilt, Auburn and NC State. He averaged 12.3 yards per rush during his prep career. All three of the college teams he played for utilized him as a kick returner, however, and Kaufman averaged 31 yards per return in 2024 on 15 attempts.

Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack safety DK Kaufman (5) reacts in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It's not surprising to see the Seahawks dip into the undrafted rookie market to replace McIntosh, as the team needs depth rather than players who will be competing to push Kenneth Walker III or Zach Charbonnet out of their top roles.

McIntosh was competing to remain in the third running back role against 2024 UDFA George Holani, seventh-round rookie Damien Martinez and undrafted rookie Jacardia Wright. Kaufman now joins Wright as the second undrafted rookie in Seattle's six-deep stable of running backs.

Thus, even though there are some veteran free agent options still available (i.e. Jamaal Williams, Gus Edwards, Jeff Wilson and Ameer Abdullah), it made more sense to bring in a younger prospect that the team could potentially develop instead of a 30-year-old backup.

Kaufman will have a tough road to making the roster, but he could stick as a practice squad player if Seattle keeps three rushers on the 53 and puts two on the practice squad to account for potential further injuries.

More Seahawks on SI stories