With Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker gone and Zach Charbonnet sidelined, an unproven backfield now threatens to derail Seattle's quest for a historic title defense.
When they look in the mirror?
The Seattle Seahawks will enter the new NFL season feeling like the team to beat after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Mike Macdonald's second year as head coach.
How justifiable is that?
The offseason has seen the Super Bowl champs lose some key players, but they also managed to retain some of their stars, and right now, the roster looks both settled and stellar.
But that doesn't mean there aren't concerns or question marks hanging over it; after all, no team is perfect.
The Seahawks' biggest roster loss this offseason was Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, who joined the Kansas City Chiefs via free agency. As a result, right now the running back group represents a bit of an unknown.
Rookie Jadarian Price, George Holani, Emanuel Wilson, and Kenny McIntosh are the group new coordinator Brian Fleury can pick from if a game were to be played today (with Zach Charbonnet recovering from an ACL injury).
That group might not instill a lot of confidence in Seattle fans as we turn for training camp, and it doesn't for ESPN analyst Mike Clay, either.
He has named that position as the Seahawks' biggest weakness.
"Running back," Clay wrote. "Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed with the Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet tore an ACL in January, leaving Seattle's backfield with a much different look in 2026. Rookie Jadarian Price -- the final pick of the first round -- could emerge as a standout player, but he is an unknown and has minimal experience as a pass catcher.
"Holdovers George Holani and Kenny McIntosh, as well as journeyman Emanuel Wilson, will battle for work until Charbonnet makes his return."
Is ESPN right? As promising as we think Price is, it certainly seems so.
With no Charbonnet for at least the first portion of the year, the Seahawks' run game will rely on a rookie and a group of career backups to give QB Sam Darnold some semblance of a steady run game.
We know what Walker did for the offense last season, both on the ground and through the air, and that is hard to replicate, so Price and Company will need to have an impactful training camp to ease any fears over the position.
Now, the group could show out in camp, and fans (not to mention the coaching staff) will be allowed to breathe a big sigh of relief.
But right now, until further notice, the Seahawks' running game could be the one thing that derails this team's desire for a Super Bowl repeat.
