With Seahawks training camp kicking off later this month, Seahawks.com is counting down, in no particular order, 10 of the most intriguing storylines, position battles and players heading into the 2025 season. So far, we've looked at the return game, tight end and safety, and today we turn our attention to running back. Check back tomorrow when we focus on linebacker.
Key Running Back Additions: Damien Martinez (seventh-round pick).
Key Running Back Departures: none.
When Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald decided to make a change at offensive coordinator following his first season in Seattle, he explained that the team's offense in 2024, "just didn't manifest itself the way that we expected. The offense, the direction that was going, it just wasn't the way that I wanted it to go."
Macdonald, who has said on multiple occasions that he wants the Seahawks to play “a style nobody wants to play,” a phrase painted on a wall that players pass on their way to the practice field, said at the time that he wants an offense, "to mirror our football team… We want our offense to be a physical unit and dictate terms to the defense, and play complementary football, and get the ball to our playmakers frequently in space, and let our quarterback play fast. We were doing a lot of those things, offensively, we just decided to go a different direction."
That different direction ended with the Seahawks hiring Klint Kubiak to replace Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator, and it has been clear ever since that a big part of making the offense mirror the football team is a bigger commitment to the running game.
Last season, when the Seahawks did run the ball, they weren't great at it, but they weren't particularly bad either. Even with starting running back Kenneth Walker III missing six games, the Seahawks were able to rank a respectable 17th in rushing yards per attempt (4.2) getting solid production out of Zach Charbonnet when Walker was sidelined, as well as some impressive late-season play from Kenny McIntosh.
The bigger issue last season when it came to the running game was a lack of commitment. Despite Macdonald and Grubb frequently stating they wanted the Seahawks to run the ball more, they finished the season ranked 29th in rushing attempts, which in turn left them near the bottom of the league (28th) in rushing yards as well.
That figures to change under Kubiak, whose background is in the Shanahan version of the West Coast Offense, which leans heavily on a wide-zone rushing attack. Running games thrived in that scheme for multiple decades, from Mike Shanahan's Super Bowl winning teams in the 1990s to Gary Kubiak's Texans earlier this century to current teams like Kyle Shanahan's 49ers and Sean McVay's Rams, and on top of that, everything we've heard this offseason from Kubiak, Macdonald and players makes it clear that there will be more commitment to the running game.
That's not to say the Seahawks plan to be one-dimensional—they also expect big things from Sam Darnold and his weapons in the passing game—but if they again rank near the bottom of the league in rushing statistics, it would be a big surprise.
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During offseason workouts, right tackle Abraham Lucas, who like just about every lineman is in favor of running the ball more, said the offense is "entirely new, so pretty much everything" is different, pointing to the emphasis on "just downhill, running off the ball, establishing the run. I know we got a lot of criticism for that, so moving into this year, we're looking to really get after it in the run game, specifically."
Lucas went on to add, "When you get a new staff in—I mean, everybody wants to run the ball—but when you come in and it's a non-negotiable like, 'We're running the ball. We put a fullback in the backfield. We're changing it up, we're doing things differently.' It's like an old-school mentality with a new-school principle. Definitely looking forward to getting after that."
Not only does Kubiak's background, which includes heavy use of multiple tight-end formations and a real role for a fullback, suggest a commitment to running the ball, so too do the moves the Seahawks have made this offseason. Most notably, the Seahawks used their first-round pick, No. 18 overall, on guard Grey Zabel, the highest pick they've used on an interior offensive lineman since selecting Hall of Fame guard Steve Hutchinson with the 17th pick in 2001. The Seahawks also used two more picks on offensive linemen Bryce Cabeldue and Mason Richman, and they used a seventh-round pick on a bruising downhill runner, Damien Martinez. Brady Russell, previously a tight end, was converted to fullback, then the Seahawks also used a fifth-round pick to add another fullback, Robbie Ouzts.
"I'll put it like this, we're trying to be elite at very few things, but those few things are what the offense is going to be based around, and that's the run game," Lucas said. "We're going to be elite at the run game. That's the philosophy with it. It's not some hodgepodge of a bunch of different stuff we're just throwing in. We're going to be elite at the basics to make sure that they work so we can do it against anybody."
If the Seahawks can reach that goal of being elite in the running game, that of course will require big contributions from their running backs, and they have every reason to believe that position group is up to the challenge of helping carry the offense.
Walker, the offensive rookie of the year runner up in 2022 who rushed for 1,950 yards and 17 touchdowns his first two seasons, struggled with injuries at times last year, but when healthy he is one of the league's most explosive and elusive backs. Charbonnet, meanwhile, was a standout filling in for an injured Walker last season, leading the team with eight rushing touchdowns while rushing for 569 yards on 135 carries, including a 134-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over the Cardinals. Behind those two, the depth is impressive as well, including Kenny McIntosh, who after limited opportunities in his first season and a half, rushed for 156 yards over the final five games of the season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. There's also Martinez, who was a highly-productive and physical back at both Oregon State and Miami, and George Holani, who made the team as an undrafted rookie out of Boise State last year.
It remains to be seen exactly how the workload is distributed, but if the Seahawks can have the type of offense Macdonald and Kubiak are envisioning in 2025, there should be plenty of carries for multiple backs to thrive.
"I think Ken could fit in just about any style," Kubiak said when asked about Walker. "He's a talented player so I'm really excited about him in this zone scheme. But I've seen Ken, in all schemes, play really good football. I've seen the guy catch the ball well out of the backfield which I think is really important for our backs that we utilize them. Obviously, whatever we can do to get him touches, throwing him routes out of the backfield, throwing him screens, get the ball in their hands, getting the ball to our best runners, and that's what he is. And I think he's got a really good group of teammates that complement him as well and especially with Charbonnet. So looking forward to him in this scheme and we're going to ask a lot out of him."
Take a look at some of the best photos of the Seahawks running back group during the team's 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Damien Martinez (22) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) participated in the Seahawks 2025 offseason workout program.
