The Seattle Seahawks are still looking for answers in the backfield, and Kenneth Gainwell has emerged as a name to watch.
Seattle already took a swing at bolstering the room after its Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. With Jadarian Price heading to the IR, the Seahawks met with veteran Joe Mixon.
At first, it looked like Mixon might land on the practice squad. Seattle also added Robert Henry Jr., who was signed away from the Washington Commanders practice squad.
But that plan changed quickly. On Tuesday, it was reported that the Seahawks had reversed course and would not sign Mixon after bringing him in for a physical. That leaves Emanuel Wilson and George Holani as the top options in a depth chart that still looks thin.
That’s where Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox sees a possible fit for Gainwell, who has not been getting much run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Knox pointed to both the player’s skill set and his contract as reasons Tampa Bay could listen.
“Gainwell signed a two-year, $14 million deal in the offseason to back up Bucs starter Bucky Irving. The Buccaneers would save just $2 million in 2026 cap space by trading the 27-year-old, but they could clear his 2027 $7 million cap hit from the books while getting a reasonable return,” Knox wrote.
“While Gainwell did score his first touchdown for Tampa in Week 4, he has still logged a mere 21 touches through four weeks. However, he racked up 187 touches, 1,023 scrimmage yards, and eight touchdowns with the Steelers last season.”
Knox also suggested the price tag could be a 2027 fifth-round pick, a cost Seattle should be able to consider if it wants to stabilize the position.
Gainwell was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round in 2021 and spent four seasons in Philadelphia, where he was a regular part of the backfield and was also used as a return man at different points.
His best stretch came in 2025 with the Steelers, when he put up 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, added 486 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns on 73 catches, and chipped in 633 kick return yards on 26 returns.
For a Seahawks team still sorting through its running back situation, Gainwell would bring versatility and more than the kind of insurance Mixon would have provided.
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