Emerald City Sports Spotlight with Peter D~ Seahawks Will Now Play Musical Backs After McIntosh's Season-Ending Injury

By Peter Duncan-Bey, Sportswriter – The Facts Newspaper

The Seattle Seahawks' ultra-deep running back room just suffered its first major shake-up. On Saturday, third-year back Kenny McIntosh went down with a season-ending ACL tear during a special teams rep. He was helped off the practice field, unable to put weight on the injured leg. Surgery is forthcoming, and with it, McIntosh’s 2025 campaign comes to a close before it ever began.

McIntosh was penciled in as the likely RB3, reprising the role he filled last season behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. When Walker missed time due to injury in 2024, McIntosh stepped into the RB2 role and made the most of it, logging 75 snaps for 172 rushing yards on 31 carries and adding value on special teams with six kick returns for 152 yards.

With McIntosh now sidelined, the Seahawks will likely turn to rookie Damien Martinez to keep the rotation humming. Drafted with long-term upside in mind, Martinez could see his role fast-tracked in light of the injury. His college résumé supports the move. In three seasons split between Oregon State and Miami, Martinez posted consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns: 982 yards in 2022, 1,185 in 2023, and 1,002 in 2024. He also notched 26 rushing touchdowns over that span.

Scouting reports on Martinez point to a powerful, downhill style built on vision, contact balance, and physicality. He runs with a “sledgehammer temperament,” as one evaluator put it, and fits well in both zone and gap schemes—making him a natural addition to Seattle’s evolving run-first identity under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Martinez isn’t without his limitations. He lacks top-end speed and doesn't yet pose a serious threat in the passing game. His receiving and pass-blocking skills remain raw, though he's a willing protector. That could cap his immediate usage on third downs, but it doesn’t diminish his early-down potential.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein praised Martinez as a “productive three-year starter with an impressive blend of power, dexterity, and decisiveness.” Others cite his dense frame, vision, and ability to create in confined space as assets that should translate well to the next level.

Though his late-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft surprised some analysts, Martinez now has an opportunity to carve out a meaningful role. With Walker and Charbonnet handling the bulk of touches, Martinez could slot in as a short-yardage specialist and bring fresh legs to a unit looking to reestablish its physical identity.

In Seattle, the music never stops in the backfield. With McIntosh out, it’s next man up—yet again. And for Damien Martinez, the tune is starting sooner than expected.