Letting Kenneth Walker III go was a tough but necessary move for the Seattle Seahawks. Yes, they probably could've afforded to keep him around, but running backs don't usually age well after their rookie deals.
The Seahawks used the final selection of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to get Notre Dame's Jadarian Price. As polarizing as the move may have been, he was the clear-cut second-best running back in this class; that was undeniable.
As such, one would assume that the Seahawks would unleash their first-round running back right out of the gate, especially with Zach Charbonnet still out with an injury. That's a fair assessment, but it didn't consider one thing — or rather one person: George Holani.
George Holani is giving the Seattle Seahawks a great problem
On paper, Seahawks running backs would compete for the RB2 spot behind Price. That might still be the case, but if Holani wins that competition as expected, he'll be much more than a situational guy out of their backfield.
Holani stepped up big time when Charbonnet got hurt last season, even playing in the Super Bowl. As such, he has the upper hand over Emanuel Wilson, who's not as good an option in the passing game as he is.
Charbonnet is expected to miss the first month of the season, and even when he's back, the Seahawks will most likely take things slowly with him. He's on a contract year, but the Seahawks will likely prefer letting him walk and keeping Holani on a lower number.
The Seahawks will give Jadarian Price as many touches as he can handle, but he's a rookie first and foremost. He had some ball-security issues at Notre Dame, and as Jeremiyah Love's sidekick, he's not used to the type of workload that usually comes with being a primary ball-carrier.
That should leave the door wide open for Holani to make a name for himself earlier in the season. And if he's in a groove, it will be extremely tough to justify benching him to play Charbonnet, who will be months removed from a major injury and may need more time to recover his twitchiness.
The Seahawks have always been a run-first team, and that won't change with new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury in town. And while not having a first-round rookie make a huge impact right away might be a bit disappointing, this is actually a great problem to have.
This team can have a legitimate three-headed monster out of their backfield once they're all healthy, and with Charbonnet on an expiring deal, Price will have one full season to get a hold of the NFL lifestyle and physical demands before taking a bigger role next season.
It will all depend on Holani, and it starts at training camp. If he makes the most of these new opportunities and proves that he's too good to keep on the bench, Mike Macdonald will have to make some decisions.
Add us as a preferred source on Google