Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani during the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks’ backfield plan suddenly looks a little less mysterious: George Holani is emerging as a real part of it.ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported Wednesday that Seattle believes Holani is capable of being its No. 2 running back, a notable detail for a team that already lost Kenneth Walker III in free agency and is still waiting on Zach Charbonnet’s recovery from knee surgery.
That matters right now because the Seahawks have already brought Holani back on his exclusive-rights free agent tender, signed Emanuel Wilson for depth, and still appear to have a very unsettled running back room heading into the next phase of the offseason. On the team’s current official depth chart, Holani is listed as Seattle’s top running back.
Key Points
ESPN reported the Seahawks believe George Holani can handle the No. 2 RB role.
Holani re-signed with Seattle on March 16 after finishing the postseason as the team’s No. 2 back.
Zach Charbonnet is coming off surgery after a significant knee injury, while Kenneth Walker III is gone.
Why George Holani Seahawks buzz suddenly feels more legitimate
This is where the Holani story gets interesting. He is not just a random offseason name being floated in March. Holani already moved into the No. 2 role during Seattle’s playoff run after Charbonnet went down, andSeahawks.com said he played 47 offensive snaps across wins over the Rams and Patriots while adding four catches for 34 yards.
There is also another clue in the way Seattle used him on the biggest stage. In a separate ESPN piece, Bill Barnwell noted that after Charbonnet’s injury, the Seahawks gave Holani 33.3% of the snaps in the Super Bowl instead of simply making Walker an every-down back. That does not prove Seattle sees him as a future starter, but it does suggest the coaching staff was willing to trust him in a high-leverage moment.
Why the Seahawks’ RB room still feels wide open
Even with Emanuel Wilson now in the mix, Seattle’s running back room still looks more competitive than settled. Wilson agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.1 million, but Barnwell also described him as more of a power back and ESPN’s broader free-agency coverage suggested he profiles as a secondary option, not a clear-cut answer to replace Walker’s explosiveness.
That is what makes Holani worth watching. He does not have to become Walker to matter. He just has to prove he can hold a real role while Charbonnet works back and while Seattle continues to evaluate whether it still needs another meaningful addition at running back. Henderson’s report made clear the Seahawks are still expected to keep looking.
The biggest reason this matters for Seattle’s offseason
The timing is everything here. Charbonnet suffered a significant knee injury in the divisional round, needed surgery, and Mike Macdonald said in late February that he did not yet have a return timeline, even while staying optimistic about the recovery.
So while Holani might not be the final answer, he looks like a very real part of the bridge. He appeared in 11 games in 2025, rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown before his hamstring injury, contributed on special teams, then returned for the postseason when Seattle needed him most. For a team trying to manage free agency losses without overreacting, that kind of in-house option makes a lot of sense.
What happens next?
Holani still has to earn the role through the rest of the offseason, and Seattle can absolutely add another back. But this is no longer just a deep-roster flyer story. The Seahawks brought him back, trusted him in the playoffs, and now there is a credible report that they believe he can handle No. 2 duties. That makes him one of the more interesting under-the-radar winners of Seattle’s early offseason.