Mike Macdonald explains why he’s not worried about Seahawks losing Kenneth Walker III

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have had a busy offseason. Following the hoisting of the Lombardi, Seattle had a number of important free agents to address. The Seahawks were able to retain a couple, such as trade-deadline addition Rashid Shaheed and cornerback Josh Jobe, but the Seahawks also lost big-time contributors like safety Coby Bryant and running back Kenneth Walker III.

The loss of Walker is a notable one, as he just became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1997. In the 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots, Walker rushed 27 times for 135 yards, and added 26 yards receiving on two catches. He became just the third player in Super Bowl history to rush for 125 yards and record 25 yards receiving, the others being Thurman Thomas in Super Bowl XXV, and Emmitt Smith in Super Bowl XXVIII. 

Walker recorded his second 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025, and his performance down the stretch netted him a three-year, $43.3 million deal from the Kansas City Chiefs. It is the largest contract ever handed out to a running back in free agency, and makes Walker the No. 4 highest-paid running back in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry. 

So, how are the Seahawks going to replace Walker? Coach Mike Macdonald doesn’t sound too worried about it. He’s excited about the other running backs he has in the building. 

“Well, we have Kenny Mac (Kenny McIntosh) and Zach (Charbonnet) are gonna be rehabbing like crazy trying to get back,” Macdonald said, via NFL.com. “You know, we’re gonna be aggressive with that as best we can, but we’re also gonna be as smart as we can to take care of them. So, when they’re ready to go, they’re ready to go.

“I think what you saw from George Holani in the offseason, or really at the end of the season, Super Bowl, NFC championship, the guy played great football, as he did before, he got hurt, you know, at the beginning of the season. So, we’re always looking to make our team, you know, take the next step, but the guys we’re having the building were excited for, and I’m pretty sure it’s Zach Charbonnet scored, like, 14 touchdowns last year, so it was pretty good.”

Charbonnet showed he’s capable of carrying some of the load in 2025. He put together a career year with 184 rushes for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns before tearing his ACL in the divisional round victory over the San Francisco 49ers. 

Since the injury occurred so late in the year, it’s not expected that Charbonnet will be back for Week 1. Which is why Seattle added former Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson in free agency. He was stuck behind Josh Jacobs in the lineup, but did rush 28 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 12 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, and rushed for 82 yards in an overtime loss to the Chicago Bears this past season. 

Macdonald also mentioned that he’s excited about Holani. Undrafted out of Boise State in 2024, he found his way to the Seahawks practice squad as a rookie, and stuck around. Holani stood out in the preseason tie against the Las Vegas Raiders last year, rushing seven times for 61 yards and a touchdown to go along with one reception for 20 yards and a tackle. The following exhibition game, Holani rushed five times for 49 yards (9.8 yards per carry), and returned three kicks for 73 yards. 

When Charbonnet went down with his knee injury in the postseason, Holani stepped in during the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl, rushing five times for 10 yards, and caught four passes for 34 yards. He signed his exclusive rights free agent tender earlier this month, keeping him in the fold. 

Macdonald likes what he has in Charbonnet, Wilson, Holani and McIntosh, but it’s always possible the Seahawks add another player during the 2026 NFL Draft in a few weeks. Mike Washington Jr. out of Arkansas for example is a 6-foot-2, 228-pound athlete that raised eyebrows with a 4.33 40-yard dash. Could he be a target for Seattle in Day 2? 

Replacing Walker isn’t easy. He was an explosive playmaker for the Seahawks that needed just 58 career games to establish himself as the eighth-best rusher in franchise history. But Macdonald is clearly confident in what he currently has at the position.