The Seattle Seahawks lost starting running back and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. With that said, Seahawks President of Football Operations and General Manager John Schneider is bullish on the team’s ability to replace Walker.
“That’s a position where you can find guys,” Schneider said on Thursday in an interview with 710 Seattle Sports when asked about the state of Seattle’s running back room. “Obviously, [Walker was] outstanding, and everybody’s really excited for him. I mean, that’s a great, great contract for a running back. But George [Holani] did a great job. We’re really excited about Emanuel Wilson, who we got from the Green Bay Packers, a heavy runner with really nice feet.”
Walker signed a three-year, $43.1 million deal with the Chiefs earlier this month, with his roughly $14.4 million average annual value ranking fourth among NFL running backs.
“Just to kind of quell people, at this time of the year I get it,” Schneider added. “But, like, [Zach Charbonnet] is doing great [recovering from an ACL tear]. Kenny McIntosh, he had a great [2024] season, and that was just an awful [ACL] injury for him. But I get it. And it’s a position that … we know where we’re at right now.”
Kenneth Walker III turned his postseason breakout, including an MVP performance in the Super Bowl, into a lucrative free-agent contract with the Chiefs. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Last season, Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry, while tallying 282 receiving yards. In total, the Seahawks tied for 10th in the NFL in rushing (123.3 yards per game).
Then in Seattle’s three postseason games, Walker ran for 313 yards and four touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry. The highlights were 135 rushing yards against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional round.
Walker was Seattle’s second-round pick in 2022. In his rookie season, he rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry. From 2023-25, he split reps with Charbonnet, who tore his ACL in January and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
The Seahawks signed the aforementioned Wilson, who rushed for 499 yards and 3.5 touchdowns per season with the Packers from 2024-25, on a one-year deal. Elsewhere, Seattle’s running back room includes McIntosh, Holani, Cam Akers and Jacardia Wright.
The Seahawks have four selections in the 2026 NFL Draft: picks No. 32, 64, 96 and 188.