Seahawks sign running back Emanuel Wilson
The Seahawks added to their running back room Thursday by reaching an agreement to sign free agent Emanuel Wilson of the Green Bay Packers, a source confirmed to The Seattle Times.
The Seahawks lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to a three-year deal to the Kansas City Chiefs and are unclear when Zach Charbonnet will be able to return from surgery last month to repair a knee injury.
The NFL Network reported that he agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.1 million. Wilson was not tendered by the Packers earlier this week as a restricted free agent which means he will not count against the Seahawks in the formula for determining compensatory draft picks in 2027. They are projected to get four as compensation for free agents who have signed elsewhere.
The 5-foot-10, 226-pound Wilson, 26, rushed for 496 yards on 125 carries with the Packers last season and has 1,083 on 242 carries for a 4.5 average and seven touchdowns in his three-year career.
He is the second external free agent to agree to a deal with the Seahawks following safety Rodney Thomas II.
Wilson signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after playing the final three seasons of his college career at Division II Fort Valley State (Ga.) but was waived that May. He signed with the Packers and made their 53-man roster in 2023 after rushing for 223 yards in the preseason.
He played sparingly as a rookie but has been a regular in the Packers’ running-back rotation the last two years serving as a backup to Josh Jacobs.
He started two games last season in place of Jacobs, including a 23-6 win over the Vikings on Nov. 23 when he rushed for a career-high 107 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns.
“Josh is going to be our guy, and we’re always going to try and maximize his reps, for sure, but it’s nice to have a guy like Emanuel that can go in there and do a really good job for us,” Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said last season of Wilson, via Packers.com “The biggest thing is just him playing with that confidence that he plays with. When he gets the ball, you can feel him.”
Wilson also rushed for 82 yards on 14 carries in Green Bay’s 22-16 overtime loss against the Bears in Chicago on Dec. 20.
Wilson also has 30 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown in his career.
Wilson ranked 25th in the NFL last year in yards per contact per attempt with 3.06, according to Pro Football Focus.
A native of Charlotte, Wilson started all 17 games he appeared in at Fort Valley State in 2021-21 with 2,206 yards and 24 TDs on 356 carries and an average per carry of 6.2 yards. He also had 35 receptions for 330 yards (9.4 avg.) and two TDs.
Wilson is the seventh running back on the Seahawks’ roster along with Charbonnet, George Holani, Kenny McIntosh, Cam Akers, Velus Jones Jr. and Jacardia Wright.
The Seahawks are likely not done adding to the running-back position, especially with the uncertainty over the return of Charbonnet, and they could take one in the draft, which is April 23-25.