Mike Macdonald
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Seahawks on SI's Jeremy Brener called Emanuel Wilson a breakout candidate for Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks next season.
There aren’t a lot of pundits who have faith the Seattle Seahawks have the running back on their roster capable of replacing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. However, don’t count Seahawks on SI’s Jeremy Brener among them.
This week, Brener called new Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson a 2026 breakout candidate.
“His numbers suggest that he could be a role player within the Seahawks running back room; however, Wilson had those numbers playing behind Josh Jacobs, who is one of the best running backs in the league. When Jacobs was injured for two games last season, Wilson drew the start in those games,” wrote Brener.
“He showed what he can do, especially against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12. During that game, he had a career-high 28 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns.”
Overall the past two seasons, Wilson has rushed for 998 yards and seven touchdowns in 34 contests. He also averaged 4.4 yards per carry with the Green Bay Packers while serving as Josh Jacobs’s backup.
The Seahawks signed Wilson to a 1-year, $1.595 million contract this offseason.
Why Emanuel Wilson Could Be a Breakout Candidate in 2026
Emanuel Wilson
GettyVeteran running back Emanuel Wilson joined the Seattle Seahawks in NFL free agency.
Criticism for Wilson and the Seahawks was rather high right after the team added the running back in NFL free agency.
Seahawks analyst Hugh Millen was one of the loudest critics. Millen argued Wilson might not even make the Seattle roster in August.
The Seahawks do have a very crowd running back room this offseason. But Brener clearly sees Wilson as a breakout candidate because of the flashes he showed in small doses with the Packers.
In his two starts last season, Wilson ran for 151 yards with two touchdowns and caught three passes. During one of those contests, he eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
“Perhaps Wilson can do more if he was given more of an opportunity in the offense, with Zach Charbonnet expected to miss most of the season as he still is recovering from a torn ACL,” Brener wrote. “The Seahawks have a chance to really reap the benefits of Wilson, and he could be the lead back for the team this season.”
Zach Charbonnet split the Seahawks backfield with Walker last season. But Charbonnet suffered a serious injury during the playoffs in January. Walker left to sign a 3-year, $43.05 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Besides potentially Charbonnet, Wilson will compete with George Holani, Kenny McIntosh, Cam Akers, Velus Jones Jr. and Jacardia Wright. for snaps at running back.
Mike Macdonald Raves About Wilson, Other Seahawks Running Backs
Mike Macdonald
GettySeahawks on SI’s Jeremy Brener called Emanuel Wilson a breakout candidate for Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks next season.
The other main reason Brener displayed confidence in Wilson was because of what the Seahawks have said about the running back.
Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald had positive things to say about the entire running back room when he spoke to reporters at the NFL annual league meetings.
“I’ll tell you this, I think people are kind of sleeping on the guys we have a little bit,” Macdonald told reporters, including Seahawks.com’s Ari Horton. “I mean, George Holani played great for us down the stretch.
“I mean Zach’s a great player. He’s not going to miss the whole year. And then Kenny Mac (McIntosh) [will] be able to come back and then the guys we added. So, I’m excited about how that, room goes from here, and then, obviously, just like the rest of the team, any opportunity to take our team to the next level, we’re going to look at it. So that’s how John (Schneider) rolls.”
Macdonald then emphasized again that Charbonnet won’t miss the entire 2026 season.
After the terrific season the Seahawks had, it’s easy to have faith in Macdonald and the organization’s believe in its running backs.
Wilson might not have to replace Walker alone. But because he’s likely to get the first opportunity, he’s the most obvious choice for “breakout candidate.”