Running back Kenny McIntosh struggled to carve out much of a role in the Seattle Seahawks’ offense over his first two seasons.

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A 2023 seventh-round draft pick out of Georgia, McIntosh was limited to just three games as a rookie after suffering an injury during the preseason. And last fall, he had just four carries through the first 12 weeks while serving as Seattle’s third running back behind starter Kenneth Walker III and backup Zach Charbonnet.

McIntosh showed some flashes down the stretch last year, though, after Walker went down with an injury. He finished the season with 172 yards on 31 carries and a 5.5-yard average, along with three catches for 22 yards.

Kenny McIntosh up the gut for 25!@NFL | @Seahawks | #TNFonPrimepic.twitter.com/S77B3nPeoH

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 27, 2024

But after the Seahawks drafted running back Damien Martinez in the seventh round of April’s NFL Draft, McIntosh could find himself in a tough battle for the No. 3 running back spot. Martinez had an impressive college career, totaling 3,169 rushing yards over a combined three seasons at Oregon State and Miami.

There’s one factor that could be working in McIntosh’s favor.

As former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus highlighted during Wednesday’s Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, running backs could be featured more prominently in the passing game under new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Last year, when Kubiak was the New Orleans Saints’ OC, running backs accounted for a whopping 25.3% of the team’s targets. That was significantly more than Seattle’s 19.3% running back target rate last season under then-OC Ryan Grubb.

Bumpus pointed out that McIntosh was a highly productive pass-catcher out of the backfield at Georgia. He totaled 76 receptions for 861 yards and four touchdowns over his four-year college career – including 43 catches for 505 yards and two TDs during the Bulldogs’ 2022 national championship season.

Stetson Bennett ➡️ Kenny McIntosh on the wheel route for 83 yards 🛞

McIntosh punched it in on the next play 😤 pic.twitter.com/z5tRbPY9ZN

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 26, 2022

Bumpus watched some of McIntosh’s college film and was impressed by what he saw.

“It wasn’t just catching the football out of the backfield,” Bumpus said. “He was lined up in the slot, working on linebackers and safeties. They moved him out to the outside, throwing him screens. He’s comfortable running routes.”

“If there’s a chance for Kenny McIntosh to reestablish himself, this is his opportunity, because when it comes to running routes and catching the football, he’s the best running back the Seahawks have that does that,” Bumpus added. “Ken Walker can catch the football, we’ve seen that. Martinez can as well. So can Charbonnet.

“But this would be Kenny McIntosh’s time to shine.”

Listen to the full Four Down Territory segment at this link or in the audio player at the bottom of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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