Former Pittsburgh STeelers running back Najee Harris during an NFL game.
The Seattle Seahawks have already reshaped their backfield once this offseason. That might not be the end of it.
Former first-round running back Najee Harris continues to linger in Seattle’s orbit as the Seahawks sort through one of the more unsettled spots on an otherwise championship-caliber roster. Bleacher Report listed Harris as a potential free-agency fit with the Seahawks, another connection between the Super Bowl champs in the former first-round draft pick.
The reason the rumor has legs is not because Harris is the flashiest name left on the market. It is because Seattle still has a real need at running back after losing Kenneth Walker III in free agency and watching Zach Charbonnet head into 2026 coming off a torn ACL.
That is what makes the Harris buzz worth paying attention to. This is not just random outside speculation. The Seahawks have already shown interest, and outside analysts have continued to point to Seattle as a logical landing spot for veteran help in the backfield.
Seattle’s running back room still has questions
The biggest domino was Walker’s departure. After starring for Seattle and taking home Super Bowl LX MVP honors, Walker left for the Chiefs on a three-year deal, stripping the Seahawks of their most proven runner and one of the offense’s most explosive players.
Seattle did respond by signing Emanuel Wilson, but even the team’s own free-agency tracker framed the move as added help after Walker’s exit, not a full solution. ESPN similarly described Wilson as one piece of the puzzle for a backfield that is still waiting on Charbonnet’s recovery.
That recovery is a big part of why another addition still makes sense. NFL.com reported in January that Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Divisional Round, an injury that would sideline him for the rest of the postseason and push his timetable into 2026. ESPN later reported that Charbonnet did not undergo knee surgery until late February, even as Mike Macdonald said the reports from doctors had been encouraging.
Seattle also brought back George Holani on his exclusive-rights tender, which gives the Seahawks another familiar body in the room. But Holani and Wilson are better viewed as part of the depth mix than as clear answers to replace Walker’s workload.
Why Harris keeps coming up for Seattle
Harris is not being connected to Seattle out of nowhere.
The NFL transaction report showed he visited the Seahawks last week, confirming the team at least wanted a closer look at the former Steelers and Chargers back. Pro Football Talk also noted Harris is coming off the torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in Week 3, which explains why there is still some hesitation around his market.
Even with that injury, Harris still brings a résumé that stands out this late in free agency. Before last season, he had posted four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and never missed a game. That kind of durability and volume matters for a team like Seattle, especially while Charbonnet works back and the depth chart remains in flux. Outside projections have kept circling back to that fit, including a new piece from Bleacher Report that identified Harris as the remaining free agent who could help the Seahawks most.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell also included Seattle among contenders with a lingering running back issue, writing that the Seahawks still needed to address the position and discussing veteran possibilities in addition to draft help.
The rumor matters even if Seattle still drafts a back
Seattle can be interested in Harris and still draft a running back early. In fact, Seahawks.com’s mock draft tracker has already highlighted multiple projections that send a back to Seattle after Walker’s departure, while ESPN has separately reported it would not be surprising if the Seahawks used a fairly early pick on the position.
That makes Harris less of an either-or move and more of a sign that Seattle is keeping every option open. A veteran addition would give the Seahawks insurance. A draft pick would give them a longer-term answer. Given how much changed in the backfield this spring, it would be surprising if John Schneider stopped at Wilson and Holani.
So while the Seahawks rumor mill may be focused on a former first-round free agent right now, the bigger takeaway is about Seattle itself. The champs still have work to do at running back, and until that changes, Harris is going to remain a name worth watching.