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Emanuel Wilson won't replace Kenneth Walker III for Seahawks
Emanuel Wilson. Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Emanuel Wilson won't replace Kenneth Walker III for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks need to find a way to replace the production they're losing from running back Kenneth Walker III walking out the door in free agency.

Walker was the Super Bowl MVP for the Seahawks, and he's arguably one of the best running backs in the NFL.

He'll be tough to replace one-to-one, but the Seahawks appear to be trying to do it with a "running back by committee" approach.

Perhaps the first up in that committee will be former Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson, whom the Seahawks are signing to a one-year, $2.1 million deal.

Wilson, 26, was an undrafted free agent out of Fort Valley State. The Packers picked him up in the spring of 2023, and he made Green Bay's initial 53-man roster coming out of training camp.

He slowly but surely made a role for himself in Green Bay's backfield as a backup. These past two seasons, he was the primary backup to Josh Jacobs. In fact, he started two games for the Packers last season while Jacobs was injured.

Wilson rushed 125 times last season for 496 yards and two touchdowns. He's also a decent option as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He caught 30 passes in three seasons for the Packers.

Emanuel Wilson a nice committee option for Seattle Seahawks 

He's a good, reliable backup, but a replacement for K9, he is not.

Running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the playoffs, so he may not be able to be relied on in 2026. The Seahawks do have George Holani, Kenny McIntosh, Cam Akers, Velus Jones Jr. and Jacardia Wright on the roster as well, so perhaps they're expecting to use one of those players in tandem with Wilson.

Or maybe there's a running back in the 2026 NFL Draft the Seahawks like.

Either way, for as good as Wilson is as a backup, the Seahawks probably can't rely on him to be an every-down back in 2026.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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