The Seattle Seahawks have gotten relatively lucky in their most recent training camps. Where some teams suffer injury losses before they even reach the regular season, Seattle usually goes into a new season relatively healthy. Perhaps some players are still slow to return from offseason surgery, but Seattle at least knew the issue.
At training camp this past week, though, Seattle did lose a player to injury. Running back Kenny McIntosh, a three-year veteran and on the inside track to be RB3 in 2025, is believed to have torn his ACL. Once that is confirmed, he will miss the season.
McIntosh suffered a knee injury as a rookie, too, and missed a significant part of the season. The NFL can be a tough business, though, and McIntosh's injury fully opens the door for rookie Damien Martinez to prove he belongs on the roster.
With Kenny McIntosh's injury, Seattle Seahawks rookie Damien Martinez has a chance to shine
2025 seventh-round pick Martinez has good size at 6 feet and nearly 220 pounds. He also has good speed for a running back and has been timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.51. He doesn't have elite athleticism, but certainly good enough to play in the NFL.
As a seventh-round draft pick, though, there was definitely no guarantee Martinez would make the team. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are set at the top of the RB rotation, and the Seahawks' RB3 is going to be more of a special-teams player and rarely get carries. To cement his spot on the team, Martinez is going to have to prove he can play in the third phase as well.
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After McIntosh's injury, the final running back spot will come down to Martinez and George Holani, unless general manager John Schneider decides to see if anyone is available in free agency. There is likely no need to do that, though, as the hope is that Walker and Charbonnet will stay healthy enough to carry most of the running back load.
Holani signed with Seattle in 2024 as an undrafted free agent and played in five games. He received three carries and ran for 10 yards. The Seahawks know what they are going to get from him, but he lacks the explosiveness that Martinez showed in college. RB3 should belong to Martinez.
As Seattle is unlikely to play Walker or Charbonnet much in the preseason, Martinez should have a real chance to show the Seattle Seahawks he belongs on the active 53-man roster and that he is good enough to get reps if called upon. Based on Walker's recent injury concerns, Martinez could end up playing a much bigger role on the 2025 team than anticipated.