Seahawks Down 2 Key Players Entering Training Camp

The Seattle Seahawks are starting training camp without two key players as the defense of their Super Bowl title commences.

Running back Zach Charbonnet and safety Nick Emmanwori landed on the physically-unable-to-perform list, known as the PUP list for training camp, and both were key starters last year. Charbonnet sustained a major knee injury last season, and he won’t be back until midseason this year. Emmanwori injured his ankle during the week of the Super Bowl, but he is expected to be ready by Week 1, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Charbonnet leaves a big void, as he had 184 carries for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. His ACL injury occurred during the Divisional Round victory over the San Francisco 49ers, and former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III carried the load the rest of the way and won Super Bowl MVP.

Seattle lost Walker in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Seahawks are looking to rookie Jadarian Price to fill the void. Price went to the Seahawks with the No. 32 pick in the draft out of Notre Dame.

With the Fighting Irish, Price rushed for 1,692 yards and 21 touchdowns on 280 carries in 41 career games. Seattle will need Price to do what Emmanwori did last year.

Emmanwori stepped up as a rookie second-round pick in 2025 out of South Carolina. He tallied 81 tackles, 11 pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and an interception as a starter.

Seattle has three other players on the PUP list going into training camp, which begins on July 25. Running back Kenny McIntosh, defensive tackle Deven Eastern, and corner back Tyrone Broden are also on the list.

McIntosh had 31 carries for 172 yards in 2024 but didn’t play in 2025 due to an ACL tear at training camp last year. He could return in time for the 2026 season, but that may not equate to more involvement in the running back room.

The Seahawks also have George Holani and Emanuel Wilson on the depth chart behind Price. Holani had 25 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown in his career, and Wilson is much more experienced than all the active Seahawks backs.

Wilson spent the past three years with the Green Bay Packers, where he rushed for 496 yards and three touchdowns on 125 carries in 2025. His 2024 season also looked solid, with 103 carries for 502 yards and four touchdowns, compared to just 14 carries for 85 yards in 2023.

That said, Wilson is below Holani on the depth chart, and the Seahawks only signed him for $1.6 million for this season. Charbonnet’s return will bounce a running back off the depth chart, so Wilson, who signed as a free agent, will need to surpass the backs Seattle has developed in-house.

Seattle could be in the market for trading for another quality running back with the lack of experience on the roster. The Seahawks relied heavily on the run last season, and quarterback Sam Darnold’s two best seasons came when he had a 1,000-yard rusher.

Price might be that guy this year, but bolstering running back depth looks urgent to take pressure off of Darnold in the passing game. A few possibilities for trades include Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson.

Arizona drafted Price’s former Notre Dame teammate Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick. Connor had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2024, so he could do it again if the Cardinals would make an in-division trade with the defending champs.

New Orleans signed former Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason, so Kamara could be heading elsewhere. Kamara still puts up good numbers as a rusher and pass catcher, and that’s been the case with the quarterback instability in the Bayou since Drew Brees retired.

Johnson only had 28 carries for 69 yards as a rookie for the Steelers, so he could be a young player for the Seahawks to grab, and they might give up very little for him. That said, Johnson would realistically only add depth to the running back room.