Kenny McIntosh makes his case and five other things to watch in Seahawks’ preseason opener
SEATTLE – Kenny McIntosh has been a Seattle Seahawk for roughly 15 months.
But he’s still not sure the team has seen the real Kenny McIntosh.
A sprained left knee suffered in the mock game last August held him out of the rest of the preseason.
That injury, combined with another to his thumb later in the year, limited him to just three regular-season games and only 13 snaps as a rookie in 2023, all on special teams.
While he’s been healthy in training camp, the careful nature of how practices are run – mostly no live tackling – makes it difficult to accurately judge running backs.
McIntosh said he’s always been a little bit better when there’s something on the line.
“When it’s game time, it’s a different Kenny, I want to say,” McIntosh said this week. “Lights, camera, action happen, it’s going to be time to showcase my talent.”
He’ll finally get that chance with the Seahawks on Saturday when they open the preseason with a 4 p.m. game in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
True, the result doesn’t matter, but for McIntosh and others fighting to make the 53-man roster, it could mean just about everything.
“Time’s ticking,” coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday. “So there’s a sense of urgency on some decisions that we’re going to have to make pretty soon.”
McIntosh may feel as much of that sense as anyone.
When McIntosh was taken in the seventh round in 2023 out of Georgia it was expected he could make a run at the third-down/2-minute back role that favors running backs with good pass-catching skills. That was something he displayed in college, ranking third among all FBS running backs with 504 receiving yards in 2022.
The early knee injury meant a stint on IR and only being used on special teams once he got healthy during the season.
McIntosh appeared slotted for the third-down back this year.
He faces a real challenge from undrafted rookie free agent George Holani, a burly 5-foot-10, 208-pounder out of Boise State who has impressed with his savvy and aggressiveness, seeming to validate a college career in which he rushed for 3,596 yards, No. 5 in school history.
Given that Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are assured spots, and that the Seahawks could keep just three running backs on their initial 53-man roster, a final running-back slot could come down to Holani or McIntosh.
“I think George has been a standout in general at camp,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said this week. “He’s got a really physical style. And, his contact balance is really good. He’s picked up the offense very quickly. He’s a bright kid. He has the ability to pass; protect, and be really firm on the inside, and then at the same time, he has good hands outside. So I think George is a good fit.”
Grubb said McIntosh is also in the running.
“For Kenny, I think he’s really progressed from the spring,” Grubb said, “It’s good to see him in pads finally. Didn’t really know what you had with him, but he’s kind of more of a slasher guy out of the backfield catching the ball. And I know we’re really working hard to try to get his pass protection up to snuff so he can be a little bit more physical in that.”
McIntosh said this week he’s not thinking yet about roster decisions. But he said he knows he has some proving to do.
“I really look at it like I’m a rookie again,” he said. “That’s my mindset. I’ve still got to prove myself, come out here and earn it. I ain’t done nothing yet.”
He hopes to change that starting Saturday.
Here are five other things to watch as the Seahawks open the preseason on their 49th season as an NFL franchise.
Macdonald’s first game
Given that the result doesn’t matter, it may be best to view the regular-season opener against Denver on Sept. 8 as Macdonald’s real introduction to the NFL. Still, it’ll be the first time Seahawks fans get a chance to see him on the sidelines in a gamelike situation.
“Well, we’d like to win the game,” Macdonald said Thursday of what he hopes to get out of the trip. “You play with a purpose. But like we told the guys today, we want to give the guys the best opportunity to show their best football. It’s (an) awesome opportunity to evaluate where we’re at as a football team.”
The backup QBs
Starter Geno Smith isn’t expected to play, leaving the QB duties to backups Sam Howell and P.J. Walker. The preseason games loom as especially critical for Howell, who was acquired in a March trade with Washington, to reinforce that he can be considered as a legitimate candidate to be a starter down the road. Howell ran the first-team offense for four practices last week but proved inconsistent with his decision-making and accuracy.
“I want to see them operate our offense, do the things that they do that we love about them,” Macdonald said of the backup QB. “Go out and go sling it, and make some great decisions, and let’s rock ’n’ roll.”
The battle at center
For the moment, Olu Oluwatimi is the Seahawks’ starting center and Nick Harris the backup. Veteran Connor Williams, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, will enter the fray next week when his signing becomes official.
Williams, coming off an ACL tear Dec. 11, may need some time to round into football shape, so Oluwatimi and Harris could get most or all of the snaps in the preseason. Few teams keep three centers on their 53-man rosters, so eventually something will have to give.
Will a backup WR emerge?
The Seahawks have four sure things at receiver, but a lot of uncertainty with the rest of the corps. Veteran Laviska Shenault Jr. appears to have a leg up on a fifth spot. But the likes of 2021 second-round pick Dee Eskridge, 2022 seventh-rounder Dareke Young figure to get plenty of snaps to state their case, as will Cody White, a veteran of 16 NFL games with the Steelers in 2021-22 and who has had some strong days in camp.
Inside linebackers getting their shot
Projected starting weakside linebacker Jerome Baker remains out with a hamstring injury, so rookie Tyrice Knight figures to start and get ample playing time. Some of those snaps may come alongside starting middle linebacker Tyrel Dodson – taking over that spot in place of Bobby Wagner. Dodson may get some playing time, his first as a Seahawk.
Macdonald said he’s eager to see what Knight can do.
“It’s nice to be able to evaluate him on where he’s at in his development,” Macdonald said. “Hopefully, we see him make a bunch of plays on Saturday.”