Through the first six games of the season, it’s been very easy to see where the Seattle Seahawks are falling short. In 2025, they were a top-10 rushing team in the NFL with 2,096 yards on the ground.
This year, they’re currently 18th and are averaging just 3.9 yards per attempt. They’re hopeful that getting Zach Charbonnet back from a torn ACL suffered in January will give them a boost, but CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns thinks the problem goes beyond that.
Seahawks urged to trade for Saquon Barkley
Bahns believes their decision not to re-sign Kenneth Walker has been the problem on offense. He referred to him as the missing piece and says the best way to fill that hole is to make a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Saquon Barkley.
“He is very much the missing piece, and they will rely on Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price to fill that gap when they return from injured reserve. Neither is an established No. 1 running back, though, so Seattle would benefit from admitting it needs a high-caliber starter, then placing Charbonnet back in his more natural secondary role and allowing Price to develop as a rookie third option,” Bahns wrote.
“They would have to pay a hefty price to pry Saquon Barkley away from Philadelphia because of his immense value and his giant cap hit, but with the Eagles poised to watch this season wither away in the wake of countless personnel losses, they should be willing to at least field calls on their superstar running back. Seattle is in as much of a win-now mode as any team in the league and thus is in a position to give up premium draft capital for a player who can help it return to the Super Bowl.”
Barkley signed a two-year, $41.5 million extension ahead of the 2025 season, which has him under contract through 2028. His cap hit each year is manageable ($9.88 million in 2026, $13 million in 2027, and $17.364 million in 2028), but he has four void years on his deal. That means he will be on the books until 2032.
Philly has shown no sign it plans to move on from Barkley, but with Jalen Hurts possibly missing the entire season, there’s a chance they could look to unload salary and stockpile picks. If so, the Seahawks would be foolish not to consider bringing in Barkley.
He’s an explosive player who can do damage as a runner and receiver. It would also keep Seattle from needing to rely too heavily on Charbonnet or Price, while also taking pressure off the shoulders of Sam Darnold.
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