Seahawks spend minicamp working on ‘this year's version' of offense

RENTON - Among the reasons the Seahawks hired Brian Fleury as their new offensive coordinator following the departure of Klint Kubiak is that there wouldn't be a lot of change.

While Fleury is new to the Seahawks, spending the last seven seasons with the rival 49ers including last year as run game coordinator, he's not new to the offensive scheme the Seahawks prefer.

Kubiak, the coach of the Raiders, had worked with the 49ers under coach Kyle Shanahan and brought with him to Seattle a version of the "Shanahan offense, notably its reliance on an outside zone running game.

Fleury is bringing with him a similar scheme.

Asked Wednesday after the team's second-to-last practice of the offseason program how the new offense is progressing, coach Mike Macdonald said using the term "new" may not really be accurate.

"I would say kind of (that) it's this year's version of last year's offense," he said. "It's the Seahawks offense."

Macdonald noted the emphasis is on learning schemes and plays so there isn't much yet to judge in terms of how the offense is performing.

"Right now it's more of an installation (phase)," he said. "Put guys in positions where we ask them to do certain techniques, protections, plays that they need to be shown before we go and start executing a plan and start carving out ultimately what we're going to look like."

The biggest difference for the players may be some tweaks to the verbiage - what the plays are called.

There's also getting used to another new voice leading the offensive room during the week. Players indicated Fleury shares some similarities to Kubiak in his attention to detail and relatively low-key manner.

Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba referred to Fleury's style as "straightforward."

"Offense (has) been good," Smith-Njigba said Tuesday. "Meetings (have) been great. We're the type of guys, just tell us what we need to do and we'll go out there and do it and fix any problems. It's been great, healthy and awesome."

Along with the scheme looking similar to last season, the personnel also will be roughly the same as every starter from last season returns other than running back Kenneth Walker III, the MVP of the Super Bowl.

How they replace Walker will obviously be the biggest question about the Seahawks' offense in 2026.

Another will be how much better the passing game can be with a full season of Rashid Shaheed, who was acquired in a trade with New Orleans after the eighth game of the season.

Macdonald addressed each of those topics on Wednesday when he met with the media for the final time before training camp begins in July.

Let's look at each:

How is the running back position shaping up?

While Walker is gone, off to the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal averaging almost $15 million a season, every other player who had more than three carries last season returns.

It remains unclear when the man who effectively split time last year with Walker - Zach Charbonnet - will return after suffering an ACL injury on which he had surgery in February, a procedure that generally requires a 9-10-month recovery.

Charbonnet was seen Tuesday doing some running, but there's a big difference in doing some conditioning and suiting up in an NFL game and taking the pounding that a running back does.

Macdonald did not offer a timetable for Charbonnet when asked Wednesday.

"Doing a great job," Macdonald said. "I know he has high expectations for himself. Look forward to seeing where it ends up."

Asked if there's a chance he could be back for the start of the season, Macdonald said "everything's possible, yeah." That answer more accurately be read as Macdonald seeing no reason to rule anything out at this point.

They hope to get Kenny McIntosh back by the start of training camp. The 2023 seventh-round pick is also recovering from an ACL injury suffered in training camp a year ago.

With those two out, the primary running backs in the offseason have been third-year player George Holani, first-round pick Jadarian Price and free agent signee Emanuel Wilson, who spent the last three seasons with the Packers.

Holani and Price have typically worked with the first unit - usually in that order - with Wilson working with the backups. Second-year tailback Jacardia Wright has also gotten snaps with the backups as has Velus Jones Jr., who is listed as a receiver but can play both spots.

Price, as the 32nd overall pick, is obviously expected to have a big role in the offense this fall, particularly on first and second downs. Holani may be best-suited to the third-down role. Wilson signed a one-year deal that includes only $550,000, so while the team is obviously hopeful he'll have a role this season he's also going to have to earn it.

Here was Macdonald's assessment Wednesday of Price and Wilson: "Both are going to be really good players in their own right. Putting themselves in great positions going into the offseason. Obviously different parts of (both of their careers). But excited. Excited about both guys. Take it day by day. Just keep chopping away. Doing a good job."

That might sound vague. But coaches often state that running backs in particular can't really be judged until the pads go on during camp and things start to get physical.

How much better can Shaheed be in 2026?

The Seahawks hope Shaheed being with the team for the entire year will result in producing more on offense in 2026. They also hope Fleury will find new ways to help unlock more production.

Shaheed was even better-than-advertised in the return game with two kickoff returns and one punt return for touchdowns after his arrival.

But he was quieter in the passing game.

After making 44 catches for 499 yards and two TDs in nine games with the Saints before the trade, he had 15 receptions for 188 yards and no touchdowns in nine regular season games in Seattle and another three catches for 78 yards and no TDs in three playoff games. He also had seven carries for 64 yards in the regular season for Seattle and four for 22 in the playoffs.

After an initial thought that it might be tough for the Seahawks to keep Shaheed once he hit free agency in March, they were able to work out a deal to keep him, a three-year contract worth up to $51 million with $23 million fully guaranteed.

That investment obviously sets up the expectation that he will be an even bigger part of the offense this year working with Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp in the team's starting three-receiver sets.

Macdonald said Wednesday he thinks Shaheed is off to a good start in fulfilling those hopes.

"It's been great," he said of Shaheed's offseason. "Rashid, he deserves a lot of credit. He's been here the whole time. He's had a great attitude. He's had a lot of personal records in our offseason training program. The timing of our plays looks like it should, given the amount of reps that are invested into it. I know I'm as excited as heck to see where it goes.

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