Have the Seattle Seahawks answered all their questions at running back?
Seattle Seahawks Offseason Tracker: Free agents, draft picks, more
If you would’ve been hesitant to pay Kenneth Walker III the three-year, $43 million deal he got from the Kansas City Chiefs, you’re not alone. The Super Bowl MVP is one of the league’s most explosive rushers and gave the Seahawks his best performance when they needed him most. But he was also part of a two-back committee in the regular season for a Seattle team that still has to work out top-of-the-market extensions for wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Alright, fine. No Ken Walker. But don’t consider the book closed on the running back room.
Fans understandably love Seattle’s existing players. You never know who could have a breakout season! Who can forget the undrafted Thomas Rawls bulldozing his way to 830 yards his rookie season, or seventh-round pick Chris Carson outshining first-rounder Rashaad Penny with a 1,000-yard year in 2018?
But even then, counting only on George Holani and two players coming off torn ACLs – including one, Zach Charbonnet, who’s unlikely to play during a portion of this season – is a gamble for 2026. Adding competition to that room, however, is becoming trickier by the day.
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The first wave of free agency wiped the board clean of top candidates. The physically punishing Tyler Allgeier? He signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with Arizona. Rico Dowdle? After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, he signed a similar deal with Pittsburgh. The Texans traded for David Montgomery, and the Lions signed Isaiah Pacheco to round out their running back room in his place. Former Buccaneer Rachaad White (a favorite of Michael Bumpus) seemed like a promising fit, but he signed with the Commanders on Thursday.
So… what now?
The Seahawks have two options if they don’t want to lean on a relatively weak running back class in the NFL Draft for depth. First, they could add another, cheaper free agent running back.
They already added one Thursday, agreeing to sign Emanuel Wilson. The 26-year-old former UDFA had 496 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 125 attempts last year for the Packers. That could rule out other free agents, though still available is Brian Robinson Jr., who rushed for 400 yards last year with San Francisco under then run game coordinator – and new Seahawks offensive coordinator – Brian Fleury.
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Another intriguing option is a trade, and one name keeps getting thrown around: Saints star Alvin Kamara.
At 30 years old, Kamara is coming off a career-low 471 rushing yards and 657 yards from scrimmage. This may not be the Pro Bowl version of Kamara — recent seasons have brought more injuries, including a sprained MCL that ended his 2025 campaign in Week 12. But the do-it-all back is still one of the league’s more versatile weapons. It was just in 2024 that he had nearly 1,500 yards from scrimmage and eight combined touchdowns.
But Seattle doesn’t necessarily need the best version of Kamara. They just need another dynamic weapon, and Kamara would give them that (it’s a possible trade former Seahawks receiver Bryan Walters has mentioned in interviews with Bump and Stacy). You’d love to have prime Kamara, of course, but Seattle could also use veteran depth out of the backfield and as a pass catcher. And this version wouldn’t command too much in return, with an SI mock having the Broncos sending a fifth-round pick to get him in a trade.
This isn’t just offseason rambling — there’s a real question about Kamara’s future in New Orleans, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter it’s a situation other teams are monitoring.
It doesn’t seem like a question Saints coach Kellen Moore is eager to squash, adding even more intrigue for RB-needy teams. The Saints, who signed Travis Etienne, seem poised to move on, and Moore dodged a question about whether Kamara is part of New Orleans’ future during a Thursday interview.
While there’s speculation that Kamara could retire rather than accept a trade, perhaps he’d pause on hanging up the cleats if it meant playing this season for a Super Bowl favorite.
More Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage
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• Seattle Seahawks announce finalized 2026 coaching staff
• Report: Seahawks re-sign defensive tackle Brandon Pili
• Seahawks signing ex-Colts safety Rodney Thomas II
• Seattle Seahawks re-sign FB Brady Russell on two-year deal