The Seattle Seahawks got some pushback from some draft pundits for choosing a running back in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The issue is that running back was one of the team's few high-end needs. Jadarian Price should feel that need well.
What is clear is that Price is ready to play his part in his first season, whether that means being the kind of back who gets overworked or is part of a rotation. Speaking with NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the Notre Dame product made sure 12s understood his stance on being a part of the defending Super Bowl champions.
"I'm ready," Price said. "This is everything I've been asking for since I started playing football. And now that I'm part of a great team, with a great offensive line, great offensive group led by offensive coordinator and led by Sam (Darnold), it's a great situation to be in, and I'm super blessed to be a part of it. But I'm ready for any challenge that comes at me, whether it ends up being 30 carries a game or 15."
Jadarian Price is ready to make an impact for the Seattle Seahawks, no matter how many carries he gets
Price, of course, won't be just tasked with taking the place of Kenneth Walker III, who was Seattle's RB1 for the last four seasons and has since signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the rookie will also need to pick up some of the slack left by Zach Charbonnet missing time while recovering from a knee injury that occurred in the playoffs last year.
The first-year running back won't have to fill the void of two RBs, though. The Seahawks wouldn't require that of him. Instead, assuming Price starts after proving he can pass protect and catch the ball out of the backfield, his backups, likely George Holani and free agent acquisition Emanuel Wilson, will also get their share of carries and reps.
What will need to happen is for the Seattle Seahawks to be efficient in creating a balance between run and pass. The team found success on that in 2025, but new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury comes from a San Francisco 49ers system that pushes that same kind of balance.
That means that Jadarian Price will need to perform at a high level immediately. Partly, that is somewhat unfair because the team expected to have Charbonnet back for 2026 before he was injured. Even if Walker left as a free agent, Seattle was still poised to have two good backs.
Instead, Charbonnet might not come back by December, putting further pressure on Price. He is at least saying all the right words and took the correct approach in organized team activities and minicamp. He could turn into a training camp star, of course, though hopefully he is limited in preseason games.
With Kenneth Walker gone, Zach Charbonnet not ready to play, and the backups at running back a fairly unproven bunch, Price is going to need to be good to begin the season. There is no reason to doubt he can't be.
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