The Seahawks running back depth chart for 2026 starts with a departure: Kenneth Walker III, Seattle’s lead back for four seasons and the Super Bowl LX MVP, left in free agency for the Kansas City Chiefs. His replacement plan is a two-man answer – first-round rookie Jadarian Price as the long-term featured back, and George Holani, who is confirmed as the listed RB1 on the team’s first unofficial depth chart while Price works back from leg soreness.
Behind them sits the most unusual supporting cast in the league: Zach Charbonnet on PUP until around midseason after a playoff ACL tear, injured free-agent addition Emanuel Wilson, converted receiver Velus Jones Jr., and Anthony Hankerson – a recent signing who is simultaneously suing the NCAA for the right to return to college football.
The chart below marks exactly what’s confirmed versus projected for every back, then forecasts the regular-season rotation.
SEAHAWKS 2026
Seattle’s Running Back Depth Chart
Life after Kenneth Walker: Holani, Price and the most unusual RB room in football
LISTED RB1
George Holani
First unofficial depth chart
THE HEIR
Jadarian Price
Round 1, pick 32
DEPARTED
Kenneth Walker
SB LX MVP, now a Chief
ON PUP
Zach Charbonnet
ACL, midseason target
The Seahawks RB depth chart
Confirmed roster status for every back – with projections labeled
| Back |
Status and role |
| George Holani |
Confirmed: listed RB1 on Seattle’s first unofficial depth chart after leading the team with 12 carries (42 yards) in the preseason opener. The 2024 undrafted find played through the Super Bowl run (career: 25 rushes, 3.3 avg) – his RB1 listing reflects camp work, not a settled regular-season role |
| Jadarian Price |
Confirmed rookie, projected lead back: the No. 32 pick out of Notre Dame – taken with the champions’ selection – missed the opener with leg soreness and is “ramping back up” per coach Mike Macdonald. Projection: the featured role is his to grow into once healthy |
| Kenneth Walker III |
Confirmed departure: Seattle’s four-year lead back and the Super Bowl LX MVP signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency – the vacancy that defines this entire room |
| Zach Charbonnet |
Confirmed on PUP: tore his ACL during the playoff run and isn’t expected back until around midseason. A free agent after 2026, his return will reshuffle the rotation whenever it comes |
| Emanuel Wilson |
Confirmed injury: the free-agent power back is currently sidelined by a leg injury, putting his roster spot at risk with cutdown a week away |
| Velus Jones Jr. |
Confirmed experiment: the former Bears third-round receiver and returner is converting to running back and got preseason work in the opener – a speed-and-special-teams bet with a known fumbling history |
| Anthony Hankerson |
Confirmed signing, unique situation: the recently signed former Oregon State 1,000-yard rusher is simultaneously a plaintiff in the Louisiana NCAA eligibility case – court relief allows him a college return if he’s off an NFL roster by Sept. 1, and his attorney says he’s expressed interest in release. He may play for Seattle this preseason while litigating for a college season |
| Jacardia Wright / Kenny McIntosh |
Wright is back from injury and practicing; McIntosh is rehabbing an ACL – both are roster-bubble depth |
Likely 2026 rotation (projection)
How the touches should sort out – clearly a forecast, not a team announcement
| Phase |
Projected split |
| September |
Price and Holani share the load as Price builds volume off the leg issue – a genuine committee, with Wilson’s power role dependent on his health |
| If Price seizes it |
The first-round investment logic takes over: Price as the featured back with Holani in relief – Seattle didn’t spend pick 32 for a timeshare |
| Around midseason |
Charbonnet’s return from PUP adds a proven No. 2 and squeezes everyone below Price on the depth chart |
| The wild cards |
Jones’ conversion and Hankerson’s court case both resolve by Sept. 1 – cutdown day effectively decides the bottom of this room |
RB ROOM FACTS
Read the RB1 listing carefully
Seattle’s own beat coverage cautions against over-reading Holani’s top line – this is a by-committee room until Price is fully healthy, and unofficial depth charts reward camp attendance.
The champion’s dilemma
Losing a Super Bowl MVP at running back and replacing him with a rookie is a bet no defending champ makes lightly – Price’s 6.0 career yards per carry at Notre Dame is why Seattle made it.
An NFL first in the room
Hankerson may be the only player in NFL history fighting for a 53-man roster spot and a college roster spot at the same time – his situation resolves within days.
What’s Confirmed vs. What’s Projection
Confirmed: Walker is gone, Holani tops the current depth chart, Price was the No. 32 pick, Charbonnet is on PUP, Wilson is hurt, and Hankerson holds court relief with a Sept. 1 deadline – his full legal saga is on our NFL-to-college tracker. Projection: everything about the regular-season split. Unofficial August depth charts are camp snapshots, not commitments, and Seattle’s beat writers have been explicit that the room is a committee until Price’s health and workload say otherwise. The quarterback situation is far more settled – see our Seahawks QB depth chart breakdown.
The Bottom Line
The Seahawks running back depth chart replaces a Super Bowl MVP with a committee led by George Holani’s confirmed RB1 listing and Jadarian Price’s first-round pedigree – with Charbonnet’s midseason return, two injured depth pieces and Hankerson’s unprecedented two-sport legal battle all reshaping the room by cutdown day. Expect Price to emerge as the lead by October; treat everything until then as a rotation in progress.
