Who Seahawks will turn to at running back behind Kenneth Walker III

RENTON, Wash. – Velus Jones Jr. remembers the first time he saw Zach Charbonnet running the football. It was a high school game in Southern California when Jones, then a redshirt freshman at USC, went with teammate Michael Pittman Jr. to watch a playoff matchup featuring Charbonnet’s team from Oaks Christian.

“I remember this big … running back looking like a man among boys running through (guys),” Jones recalled on Wednesday. “He played defense, too.”

While Charbonnet probably could have eventually developed into a pretty good defensive player, it’s the offensive side that’s the focus right now and the fact the Seahawks will be without their No. 2 running back for the rest of the playoffs beginning with Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.

A torn ACL suffered last week against the 49ers has left Charbonnet sidelined and the Seahawks with a little uncertainty about their depth behind starter Kenneth Walker III. What was somewhat of a split during the regular season – Walker has more yards and carries; Charbonnet more TDs – is going to be tilted heavily toward Walker with an NFC title and a Super Bowl berth at stake. Walker hasn’t had 20 carries in a game at any point this season and the last time he did was Week 9 of the 2024 season when he had 25 carries in an overtime loss to the Rams.

But there will need to be reinforcements behind Walker and that’s where the situation gets a little murky.

“Zach has been a huge part of our offense, just the way that he runs the football. Downhill runner. He’s been really good for us this year,” Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold said. “We’re going to miss him, but we got a lot of guys that can step up with him out.”

While Walker seems more than capable of carrying the load – especially after his three touchdown performance last week against San Francisco – part of what made the run game so successful late in the season was the combination. The Seahawks have topped 160 yards rushing in four straight games for the first time since 2018 and Charbonnet was a massive part of that with 110 yards and two TDs against the Panthers in Week 17 and 74 yards and a TD in Week 18 at San Francisco.

His numbers against the Rams this season weren’t significant, but there was still contribution. Charbonnet had 26 total touches across the two games and had a touchdown run in the Week 16 win.

Jones could end up being one of the options the Seahawks use in place of Charbonnet. It was the role he took on last week after Charbonnet was injured in the first half, and thanks to the game turning into a blowout Jones ended up with six carries after having just four in the regular season.

“This business, injuries are bound to happen and everything. But then, like, we’re in the league for a reason. It shouldn’t be no slack. Everything should be hitting on all cylinders and stuff,” Jones said. “As we go into this week of practice, just do your job and focus on what you need to focus on. Focus on your tracks, your protections, everything, and just communicate.”

But there are other options for the Seahawks, the most intriguing of which might be veteran Cam Akers. He’s only been added to the gameday roster for three games late in the season and has yet to have a rushing attempt in a Seahawks uniform, but it’s Akers’ history that makes his inclusion as an option of such interest.

Akers was once viewed as the future to the running game for the Rams, especially when one of the biggest games of his rookie season in 2020 came in the wild-card playoff game when he rushed for 131 yards – to this date one of five career games where he’s topped 100 yards rushing.

Akers’ time with the Rams ended during the 2023 season when he was traded to Minnesota after it was clear Kyren Williams was going to be the running back of the future in Los Angeles. While the idea of a revenge game makes for a clean storyline this week, it’s probably not likely.

“I’m not sure what the plan is this week yet, but I’m ready to go, bro,” Akers said.

There’s another option for the Seahawks and the one who has the most carries of anyone on the roster not named Walker, Charbonnet or Darnold. George Holani was designated for return to practice Wednesday after missing the past two months with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 12 against Tennessee. It’s not a heavy dose of carries Holani received earlier in the season, but his 22 rushes are fourth-most of anyone on the team. He’s also one four players with a rushing touchdown along with Walker, Charbonnet and tight end AJ Barner. Holani’s TD run, the only one of his NFL career, came in the 44-22 blowout win over Arizona in early November.

Holani said his hamstring was mostly healed about a month after the injury, which he suffered on a punt return, and that he’s just been waiting for the OK to get back into practice.

Macdonald said he viewed Holani as having the chance to contribute this week.

“I think for me, it was just always staying ready,” Holani said. “Sitting in all those meetings, even when I’m not playing, being in the offense meetings, being in position meetings, and then dialing in all the plays, making sure I’m good to go on that, especially with the terminology in this offense, it’s always updated. So just being locked in and ready to go.”