The Seattle Seahawks are looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions, and while many see them as a threat for the Lombardi Trophy this upcoming 2026 NFL season, there’s one major concern some might have about the team: The running game.
Seattle lost Kenneth Walker III this offseason as he left via free agency to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Seahawks likely won’t have Zach Charbonnet to start the campaign as he recovers from his torn ACL.
The Seahawks did draft Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but putting the pressure on a rookie to carry the load out of the gate might be too much. As a result, could Seattle explore the trade market?
Wynston Wilcox of FanSided issued a trade pitch in a July 8 article to help the Seahawks add a short-term solution to the problem. In Wilcox’s trade idea, Seattle would send a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for James Conner.
Would the Cardinals Trade Within the Division?
Now, the question will be whether the Cardinals would want to trade a player within the NFC West. Despite that hurdle, Wilcox believes Arizona would consider trading Connor to a team in the division.
“The Arizona Cardinals have no reason to hold onto James Conner with Jeremiyah Love in the picture,” Wilcox wrote. “It won’t be hard to move Conner with his team-friendly $4.3 million cap hit. The question will be who will actually bite.
“Seattle could be a team in the mix. I know it’s crazy to think Conner would get traded within the conference. Last year, Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals from the Cleveland Browns, so it’s not irrational.
Does James Connor to the Seahawks Make Sense?
Nonetheless, a major concern is that Connor is coming off a severe right foot injury he sustained early in the 2025 NFL season that ended his campaign. As a result, it would be a major roll of the dice, but it’s a trade target that makes sense, as Arizona is rebuilding.
Wilcox poses the same question about whether pursuing a player coming off a major injury makes sense. Still, if it’s at the cost of a Day 3 pick and not putting all the pressure on price, then it’s a trade that the Seahawks would benefit from.
“The Seahawks are kind of waiting around to see when Zach Charbonnet is going to be ready to go,” Wilcox added in his article. “He most likely won’t be ready for Week 1, but he could still return early in the season.
“Going after Conner makes sense because this will not only give them depth when Charbonnet returns, but it will take some of the pressure off first-round pick Jadarian Price. The only caveat here is Conner is coming off a severe right foot injury that halted his season after three games. Do the Seahawks want to gamble for a running back in a similar position as Charbonnet?”
The 31-year-old has had 861 carries for 3,763 yards and has scored 46 touchdowns in 60 games during his five seasons with the Cardinals, per StatMuse.
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