Damien Martinez was always going to have a tough time making the Seattle Seahawks' active roster for 2025. He wasn't bad in training camp and the preseason, but he was almost doomed from the start. His issue was one he could not control.
Seattle changed its offensive coordinator this past offseason. Klint Kubiak now oversees that side of the ball, and Kubiak is a bit old school. He likes to use a lot of two tight end sets, and he even has a fullback on the field at times. While that means running the ball more, it doesn't mean the Seahawks keep more tailbacks.
That is because any potential RB4 roster spot is taken by a fullback or an extra tight end. Martinez was also outplayed by George Holani in the preseason, while Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet were always roster locks.
Seattle Seahawks signed running back Damien Martinez to the practice squad
The good part, however, for both Damien Martinez and the Seahawks is that the team was able to bring back the running back to the practice squad, even though the team released him the day before. Martinez should have had choices about where to sign on the practice squad, but chose Seattle.
Because running backs get hurt more often than some other positions, Martinez will probably have a good chance to be elevated to the roster on game days. If he gets elevated more than three times, he must be made a permanent part of the roster.
He is big enough to play in the NFL and showed flashes of explosiveness in the preseason, though he lacks the overall speed of Walker and Charbonnet. If the team needs to pick up a dirty three yards, Martinez should help. He could, like Holani, also come back in 2026 and prove he deserves a spot on the team in training camp and the preseason.
Besides Martinez, the Seattle Seahawks have also reportedly signed the following to the practice squad:
- Running back Jacardia Wright
- Linebacker Jamie Sheriff
- Punt/kick returner Courtney Jackson
- Wide receiver Ricky White III
- Safety Jerrick Reed II
- Linebacker Pooh Paul
- Nose guard Quinton Bohanna
More moves are likely to come. And, let's be honest, the practice squad will change quite a bit throughout the season, but the Seattle Seahawks try to sign players who can be elevated to help the team in real games, and not simply sit, watch, and learn.