The Seattle Seahawks will have a different looking backfield in 2026 under head coach Mike MacDonald. With Kenneth Walker leaving Seattle for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, it will fill a void no doubt. Walker was also Super Bowl LX MVP for Seattle against the New England Patriots.
Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
This season, the projected running backs for the Seahawks will be Zach Charbonnet and rookie Jadrian Price. They could be 1A an 1B this season. Last season, Charbonnet with Seattle rushed for 730 yards on 184 carries and 12 touchdowns, along with averaging 4.0 yards per carry. He also caught 20 passes for 144 yards receiving and zero touchdowns, along with averaging 7.2 yards per reception. Charbonnet is 25 years old and entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Seattle Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet Under Pressure to Perform in 2026
Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) looks for running room against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Saad Yousuf of the Athletic wrote about which Seattle player is under the most pressure to perform this season, and he thinks that it is Charbonnet. Yousuf said of the Seahawks running back,
“Charbonnet is coming off a season with career-highs on the ground across the board. With Kenneth Walker’s departure, Charbonnet would be a prime candidate to take over the backfield in Seattle in the final year of his rookie contract. However, Charbonnet is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last postseason and could take some time to hit his stride in 2026, while also facing competition from Jadarian Price, whom the Seahawks drafted in the first round in April.”
There is a chance that Price is the starting running back for Seattle to begin the season. Charbonnet will no doubt be in the Seahawks plans in the backfield as long as he is healthy. Walker got more carries without him in the playoffs. If Charbonnet and Price perform well in the backfield and help out quarterback Sam Darnold, there is no doubt that Seattle may potentially go back-to-back this season also.
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