The Seattle Seahawks suddenly find themselves in the market for a new starting running back with Kenneth Walker set to join the Kansas City Chiefs. With Walker and Travis Etienne off the board, there are dwindling options for the Seahawks to consider in NFL free agency.
One name to watch is Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White, who has made 67 appearances (including 48 starts) during his first four NFL seasons. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that White is one of the playmakers who Seattle is considering as a potential replacement option for Walker.
“And I’ve always watched Rachaad White down there in Tampa, and I thought he was underutilized,” Garafolo detailed in a March 10, 2026, episode of “Free Agent Frenzy.” “I always thought he was one of the best running backs that the Buccaneers have had in recent memory.
“… I was just talking to a personnel guy the other day. I said, this guy can do a little bit of everything, right? He’s like, yeah, and he could even pass protect really well,” Garafolo added.
“So I’m expecting something to happen here in the near future with Rachaad White. I’m told that he was one of the fallback options, potentially in Seattle if they didn’t have Kenneth Walker. And some of these other teams are going to be looking at Rachaad White.”
Let’s explore White’s potential fit with the Seahawks.
Seahawks Rumors: Buccaneers RB Rachaad White Is Projected To Be Much More Affordable Than Kenneth Walker’s $45 Million Contract
Heading into NFL free agency, it became clear that Seattle was unlikely going to be willing to pay a premium price to re-sign Walker. This became more obvious when the Seahawks opted not to place the franchise tag on the running back.
Walker landed a $45 million offer from the Chiefs, prompting the Seahawks to pivot to other options like White. Spotrac projects White’s market value is a two-year, $5.9 million contract, much more affordable than Walker.
Seahawks Target RB Rachaad White Topped 1,500 Total Yards for the Buccaneers in 2023
White’s best statistical season came in 2023 when the running back combined for more than 1,500 yards in 17 starts. The playmaker posted 272 carries for 990 rushing yards and six touchdowns. White added 549 receiving yards and three TDs through the air during this same 2023 breakout campaign.
Since then, White has been used more sparingly to spell Bucky Irving. White notched 132 carries for 572 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 17 appearances in 2025, including eight starts. The playmaker added 40 catches for 218 receiving yards.
Seahawks News: Seattle Expected to Target a Running Back in the NFL Draft
Even if the Seahawks sign a veteran like White in the coming weeks, fans can also expect the team to look heavily at the position in the NFL draft. The Seahawks trust Zach Charbonnet, but the running back is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury. Expect the Seahawks to draft a running back, per The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar.
“Seattle has the Nos. 32, 64 and 96 picks in April,” Dugar noted in a March 10, story titled, “Seahawks free-agency reset: Everything we learned from re-signings, departures on Day 1.”
“One of those is probably going to be used on a running back. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently mocked Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price to the Seahawks with the 64th pick. That would make a lot of sense given Walker’s departure and that Charbonnet is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in January.”
Seahawks Push to Land Former 1,500-Yard Playmaker to Replace Kenneth Walker: Insider