Seahawks final running back battle comes down to three names fighting for one job

The Seattle Seahawks are likely to run a lot more in 2025. This is what head coach Mike Macdonald wants, as a team that successfully runs the ball eats more clock, and that keeps a team's defense fresh. If the Seahawks are going to win, it will be with a great defense and an efficient offense.

One reason Macdonald and general manager John Schneider hired offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason is that Kubiak has proven his scheme is more versatile than former OC Ryan Grubb's and is devoted to using the run more.

There is a chance that Seattle keeps four tailbacks in 2025, but the team is also likely to keep three quarterbacks and a fullback, so that makes keeping four tailbacks tougher. The first two are set: Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, but who might earn the RB3 spot for Seattle?

Who will end up walking away with the Seahawks' RB3 role heading into the 2025 season?

Primary competitor #1: Kenny McIntosh

McIntosh probably has the inside track to earn a roster spot for Seattle based on his play in 2024. After an injury-plagued rookie season of 2023, he was available for each game last season and got 17 carries. He showed explosiveness in those carries, too, as he averaged 5.5 yards a rush. He was also a solid contributor on special teams.

The odd part was that he averaged 3.1 yards before first contact, which is high for a Seattle back. Kenneth Walker III averaged only 1.7 yards before first contact, and Zach Charbonnet just 2.0 yards before first contact.

Was the reason McIntosh had a higher average in that area because he was playing near the ends of not-close games? Or was he truly explosive? If the answer is no to the last question, the running back battle is wide open.

Primary competitor #2: Damien Martinez

2025 seventh-round pick Martinez looks like a Seahawks running back as he is 6-feet and nearly 220 pounds, and he has good athleticism. His 4.51 40-yard time is good enough for an NFL running back, and he jump 35 inches at the NFL combine. In his last year of college, he averaged 6.3 yards a carry, which shows he can be explosive.

He was also surprisingly consistent. He averaged 6.1 yards a carry in his first two years before the 6.3 last season.

The question about Martinez could be how well he can catch and block. He didn't get many chances to be receiver in college. He has the size to block well, but he has to prove to the Seahawks he can. If he can't, he won't be trusted to get many snaps, and that means he probably doesn't have a spot on the roster.

Primary competitor #3: George Holani

Holani put up some fantastic college statistics at Boise State, a school that is becoming accustomed the turning out good running backs (Ashton Jeanty was taken in the first round of the 2025 by Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders). But Holani had a history of injuries in college, and that rolled over to his preseason as a rookie in 2024.

He has good size at 5'11" and 210 pounds and solid strength to be able to pick up the dirty yards in short-yardage situations. He is unlikely to beat out McIntosh or Martinez, but Seattle also knows what to expect from Holani, and he could be a good fit in Klint Kubiak's system.