Seahawks RB Kenny McIntosh to IR with torn ACL, likely ending season

The Seattle Seahawks placed third-year running back Kenny McIntosh on injured reserve Monday after he suffered a torn ACL during Saturday’s training camp practice.

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Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed during his media session after Monday’s practice that McIntosh’s knee injury is a torn ACL. It was reported Saturday by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that McIntosh injury believed to be a torn ACL.

The move means McIntosh’s season is likely over. Players who are placed on IR before Week 1 must miss the entire season, unless they are designated to return when the roster is cut down to 53 players in late August.

To fill McIntosh’s spot on the 90-man roster, the Seahawks signed undrafted rookie running back D.K. Kaufman.

Kaufman took part in Seattle’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player and is in the process of switching positions after playing safety in college. He totaled three interceptions, a pick-six, nine pass breakups, three sacks, seven forced fumbles and 13 tackles for loss over a five-year college career that spanned three schools. He spent one season at Vanderbilt and three seasons at Auburn before playing his final season at North Carolina State last fall.

McIntosh, a 2023 seventh-round draft pick out of Georgia, was expected to battle for Seattle’s third running back spot behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. McIntosh also was expected to be in the mix as a kick returner.

With McIntosh out, the RB3 role likely comes down to rookie seventh-round pick Damien Martinez and second-year pro George Holani.

The 6-foot, 217-pound Martinez figures to be the front-runner after rushing for a combined 3,169 yards, 6.2 yards per carry and 26 touchdowns over his standout three-year college career at Oregon State and Miami. Holani, an undrafted second-year pro out of Boise State, spent most of 2024 on the practice squad after pushing McIntosh for the third running back spot with a strong preseason.

McIntosh missed most of his 2023 rookie season after suffering a knee injury during training camp. He didn’t get his first NFL carry until Week 3 of 2024 and struggled to earn offensive snaps for most of last year while stuck behind Walker and Charbonnet on the depth chart.

But when Walker missed four of the final five games last season due to injuries, McIntosh showed some promise while filling in as Seattle’s backup running back. He finished last year with 172 yards on 31 carries for an average of 5.5 yards per attempt. He also had three catches for 22 yards and six kick returns for an average of 25.5 yards per return.

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