The Seahawks had the makings of a dynamic one-two punch in their backfield when the 2022 NFL season began.
Seattle was set to entrust veteran Rashaad Penny as its starter while bringing second-round rookie Kenneth Walker III into the fold as well. That rotation proved short-lived, as Penny suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 against the Saints.
Since then, Walker has emerged as the workhorse for Seattle and has established himself as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. However, he is now set to be sidelined with an ankle injury of his own.
As such, the Seahawks are being forced to turn to their running back depth in Week 14, as they look to stay in the playoff hunt. Seattle is down to its fourth-string option at the starting spot, as normal third-stringer DeeJay Dallas is set to miss the game with a high-ankle sprain.
There is just one question about Seattle's plan. Who is the team planning on employing as their starter? They have several experienced players available at the position, but the pecking order is far from established.
Here's a breakdown of what to expect as the Seahawks create a whole new running back rotation in Week 14.
MORE: Latest updates on Kenneth Walker's "jammed" ankle
Seahawks RB depth chart
1. Tony Jones Jr.
The expectation is that the Seahawks will be starting Jones at running back on Sunday. There was speculation whether he or Homer would get the nod, but ESPN's Adam Schefter said on "Fantasy Football Now" that he expects Jones to be Seattle's starter.
On #FFNOW, @AdamSchefter says he expects the Seahawks to start Tony Jones Jr., not Travis Homer. 👀
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) December 11, 2022
Jones has been with the Seahawks for roughly two months. He was claimed off waivers from the Saints on Oct. 10 and has played sparingly for Seattle, logging 23 offensive snaps, all of which came in Week 13 against the Rams.
Jones, 25, has 66 career carries for 177 yards and has also caught nine passes for 59 yards. The Notre Dame product has never scored an NFL touchdown.
Still, it seems like the Seahawks are willing to trust the 5-11, 224-pound back as their starter. He will likely handle some early-downs carries while their other top running back handles more work in the passing game.
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2. Travis Homer
Many were initially anticipating that Homer would be the starter for the Seahawks on Sunday. The fourth-year back is listed as the team's co-second-string option on their official depth chart with Dallas behind Walker, so that led many to believe he would get a bulk of the playing time.
That said, Homer has missed time with a knee sprain this season, and didn't play in Week 13 because of it. The Seahawks may try to limit Homer's touches because of that lingering malady.
Additionally, Homer has logged more than six carries in a game just once during his career. That came in his rookie season back in 2019 when he handled 10 against the 49ers, so it may be hard for him to handle a full workload anyway.
Homer, 24, also happens to be a strong receiver out of the backfield. That makes him an ideal candidate for third-down work, so Seattle may use him more in obvious passing situations while relying on Jones to handle a bulk of the work up the middle.
During his career, Homer (5-10, 202 pounds) has logged 422 yards and a touchdown on 73 carries. He also has caught 46 passes for 431 yards and two touchdowns in his four NFL seasons.
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3. Godwin Igwebuike
Igwebuike was called up from the practice squad to serve as Seattle's No. 3 running back. The 28-year-old is an interesting player, as he was a defensive back when he first came into the league out of Northwestern. He became a running back with the Lions in 2021 and flashed solid potential as a rotational player.
Igwebuike has 18 career carries for 118 yards and a touchdown and also has logged seven catches for 60 yards. All of that production came last season with the Lions.
The Seahawks will use all three backs, so Igwebuike should get some carries on Sunday. Perhaps if he gets the hot hand, he will eat into the workload of Jones and Homer, but he seems more likely to play special teams and serve as a change-of-pace option.
