Speed kills in athletics. Players can prepare for power and strength, but pure speed is not something that can be easily replicated. It is this trait that should delight Seattle Seahawks fans about first-round pick Jadarian Price and keep New England Patriots fans up at night.
The truth is that neither team knows exactly what Price will accomplish in Week 1 because he has never played a down in the NFL. But Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel certainly knows what might give his team issues: How fast the rookie running back is.
Speaking with the media ahead of the Week 1 matchup, Vrabel said of Price, "I know that Jadarian's got great speed. He's a slasher. He'll test edges. He's got great patience. But I watched him circle guys up in college fairly easily. So the speed, I think, is real."
The Patriots might not be fully prepared for Seattle Seahawks' Jadarian Price's speed
New England understands how quick Seattle's team can be on defense, as the Seahawks dominated the Patriots in last season's Super Bowl because Vrabel's offense couldn't acclimate to players like Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori. To begin the 2026 season, New England will see a different aspect.
Former Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III was the title game's MVP, and he was obviously fast, playing at the highest level of his career when head coach Mike Macdonald needed him to. Walker's quickness to bounce outside and then get down the field caused multiple teams problems late last season.
Price could be even faster. He is younger and doesn't have the injury history that Walker did. That doesn't mean the new Seahawk is better than the new Kansas City Chiefs player, at least not yet, but Price's explosiveness could cause New England's defense to have fits at times.
Seattle won't be the same team it was in the Super Bowl (and neither will the Patriots) due to injuries and free agents who left. Macdonald is going to have a terrific defense because he is too good a coach not to, but expecting the defense to pick up where it left off last season is too much. Too many new parts are involved, and Emmanwori is dealing with an ankle injury.
But the Seattle Seahawks also have a new offensive coordinator, Brian Fleury, who will want to run the ball quite a bit and do so creatively. Jadarian Price's speed is going to be a boon to that creativity. As long as Price can pass protect well and catch passes out of the backfield, he is going to be productive.
But what the New England Patriots fear the most entering the opening game of the 2026 season is Price's pure speed. Let's hope the rookie proves the Pats' head coach correct, and a few explosive plays by Price are all Seattle needs to get its first win of the season.
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