NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Seattle Seahawks will be signing running back Emanuel Wilson to a one-year deal “worth up to $2.1 million” for the 2026 season. The Super Bowl champions are in the market for a number two back after Kenneth Walker, who won the Super Bowl MVP, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.
Wilson was the Packers’ number two ball-carrier behind Josh Jacobs last season, but he was passed up in offensive snaps in the final third of the 2025 season, as Chris Brooks took a bigger role with the team. Brooks, primarily a blocking back and special teams contributor, signed a two-year, $4.85 million contract with Green Bay this offseason, good for an APY of slightly higher than Wilson’s but with a cost-controlled second year attached to his deal when compared to Wilson.
Both Brooks and Wilson were restricted free agents, meaning that the Packers had the option to tender them on a $3.5 million, one-year “first right of refusal” deal. Green Bay ended up paying Brooks for less than that per year and also let Wilson walk into unrestricted free agency, where he received less than the tender.
The Packers will not receive a compensatory draft pick for the Seahawks signing Wilson away, as restricted free agents who didn’t have their tenders picked up do not count toward the compensatory pick formula, one way or another. Seattle is in the same mode as Green Bay right now, where they’re actively trying to protect the comp picks they’ll be receiving for the players they have leaving this offseason.
Over The Cap currently has the Seahawks gaining a fourth-round pick and three fifth-round picks in 2027 for losing edge defender Boye Mafe, running back Kenneth Walker III, safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Tariq Woolen. This move helps Seattle add some competition to their running back room before the draft while also protecting these picks. They have yet to sign a qualifying compensatory free agent this offseason, despite having $41 million in cap space, per OTC’s most recent update.