The Green Bay Packers had a decision to make about running back Emanuel Wilson when free agency began, and their inaction spoke volumes. The team didn't tender him the one-year, $3.52 million offer he required as a restricted free agent, and as reported by Packers reporter Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Thursday, Wilson will not return next season.
"The Packers did not submit a restricted free agent tender to him, and a source said he will not re-sign as some of the team’s other restricted free agents did after not receiving tender offers."Tom Silverstein
Wilson outplayed the average undrafted free agent, but with Chris Brook returning, the writing was already on the wall. Now, it's time for him to spread his wings, and the reigning Super Bowl champions happen to have a big need at running back.
Emanuel Wilson Makes Perfect Sense for the Seahawks
All in all, Wilson left Green Bay with 41 appearances. He turned 242 rushing yards into 1,083 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 170 yards and another score. Those numbers may not pop off the charts, but he gives the Seahawks what they need right now.
The Seahawks let Kenneth Walker III leave in free agency. Needless to say, losing the reigning Super Bowl MVP would be a huge blow to any team, especially one whose other primary running back is out for a while.
That said, the Seahawks were likely to let Walker leave if Zach Charbonnet were healthy anyway. They know he can also be a featured back after rushing for 730 yards and 12 TDs last season, and with an underwhelming running back class in both free agency and the NFL draft, the defending champions might be better off just going after a stopgap.
OverTheCap lists Wilson's 2025 valuation at $1.6 million, so it's hard to imagine him costing too much if the Seahawks want to do business. Something closer to that number makes more sense than the tender that the Packers passed over.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is always on the lookout for a bargain. Wilson can give this team a starting-caliber player and efficiency, while Charbonnet works his way back from his injury. Barring a major setback, he should be back on the field at some point in the season.
Charbonnet will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Seahawks will have more options to explore as potential replacements if they don't bring him back. Right now, with Travis Etienne and Rico Dowdle gone and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love not available by the time they're on the clock, they don't have many options.
While not as elite a tackle-breaker as Walker, Wilson is also a bruising and physical guy who doesn't stop after the first hit. He runs with an edge and stubbornness that made him difficult to get off the field at times; he just wasn't right for the Packers' plans.
That split has opened the door for Wilson to join the Seahawks, which is a possibility that makes too much sense for Packers fans to ignore.