It's old news now, but for a quick recap, the Seattle Seahawks let Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III leave in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs on a deal that the Seahawks weren't willing to dish out. To replace Walker, the Seahawks drafted Jadarian Price of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who backed up the NFL's top running back, Jeremiyah Love, for three years.Â
Price is expected to take Walker's place for good and be Seattle’s No. 1 rusher for the future. With Zach Charbonett set to miss the beginning of the regular season due to recovery, the Seahawks have two depth rushers seeking to A) share the load with Price similar to what Charbonnet did with Walker, or B) win the Seahawks No. 2 spot behind Price while he carries the full brunt of the load.Â
Considering how high the Seahawks are on Price, coupled with the consideration that there is a belief Price will have the better season over Love, the Seahawks running back situation may not be a huge question mark. That said, amongst all their position groups, it's the only one with even a little uncertainty, according to an ESPN NFL insider.Â
ESPN Seattle Seahawks insider report could hint at George Holani having a bigger role than expected
Price may be a rookie, but the reporting out of Seattle, not to mention a significant number of positive comments from players, suggests the former college backup is essentially a lock to be the Seahawks' starting rusher in Week 1. Of course, starting was the goal when the Seahawks drafted Price, so obviously, that is what they're working toward.Â
Whether Price takes on a full workload or splits it with another rusher, he's the future at that position. So, the question is not with Price but with the rest of the backs on the depth chart. With Charbonnet not expected to return until somewhere during the season, that leaves George Holani and Emanuel Wilson.Â
Holani, the former undrafted free agent, has seen limited action in his first two years in the NFL, but it looks like things could be turning his way. Due to Charbonnet's situation and Price being a rookie, Holani could see his window open wider than ever to step in and make a significant impact on the Seahawks' offense.Â
According to ESPN's Seahawks insider, Brady Henderson, Holani has impressed the Seahawks coaching staff despite not having a large role. Naturally, this gives Holani the edge over former Green Bay Packers rusher Wilson, whom Seattle signed as a free agent on a one-year deal.
As Henderson writes, the Seahawks' run game does have some questions, but it's not an overshadowing issue that's causing significant concern.
"The run game isn't an obvious Achilles' heel, but it is a question mark," Henderson said of the Seahawks' running game. "Kenneth Walker III left in free agency, and Charbonnet, Seattle's co-starter in 2025, might miss a good chunk of the season following February knee surgery.
"The Seahawks replaced Walker by spending the 32nd pick on Notre Dame's Jadarian Price, a backup in college who is slated to share time as a rookie with George Holani and Emanuel Wilson," Henderson continued. "Holani, who impressed the Seahawks with his fill-in work in the playoffs after Charbonnet went down, has 25 carries over two NFL seasons. Wilson, a power back signed in free agency, was a backup over his three years in Green Bay."
Holani's familiarity with Seattle's offensive schemes is to his advantage, or Wilson's, but Holani has also shown himself to be very reliable in the passing game. If the Seahawks do one thing well, it's incorporating their running backs into the pass game, and Holani stepped in nicely behind Walker when Charbonnet went down.Â
The Seahawks don't have any glaring issues, and that's a good thing for a team looking to repeat. That said, it will be interesting to see how the running back rotation plays out. Hopefully, Price is ready and able to take the ball and run with it full-time. If not, Holani is capable and ready for his chance to shine.Â
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