The Seattle Seahawks have to focus on the task at hand. They're one win away from glory, and that should be the only thing on their minds right now. At least, that applies to the players and the coaching staff.
Things might be a little different for John Schneider, though. The renowned GM has to keep an eye on the future, and he should already be exploring all the team's options and potential avenues for the offseason.
That's particularly the case with the running back situation. Zach Charbonnet's season-ending injury may have changed everything, and the team might have to get a little creative to find Sam Darnold some help on the ground.
The Seattle Seahawks have a pressing running back question this offseason
As things stand now, only Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh are signed beyond this season. Neither of them is healthy to play in the Super Bowl, so all guys getting touches out of the backfield know they might be running for a job in the biggest game of their careers.
Before Charbonnet's injury, the Seahawks would've probably felt comfortable letting Kenneth Walker III walk away in free agency. Now, even if the UCLA product is healthy enough for the start of the season, they might want to reconsider that stance.
Walker has been lights out in the playoffs. Through two postseason games, he's turned 45 touches into 256 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. He also has eight rushes of 10+ yards, and has topped 100 yards from scrimmage in both of the games.
Knee injuries are potentially career-altering, especially for running backs. There are no guarantees that Charbonnet will be as good as he was once he returns. That's a risk a Super Bowl contender simply cannot afford to take.
At least, the good thing is the Seahawks will certainly have options to address this issue. Per Pro Football Focus, they will have the fourth-most available salary cap in the league at $74,879,961, according to Over the Cap. They can probably work out a deal to keep Walker in town if they want to.
Unless they make a trade, they will only have four draft picks in 2026 (one in the first three rounds and then one via Cleveland in the sixth), so they may not want to use one of those picks on a running back. That said, there's always value at the position in the late rounds and in the undrafted free agent pool.