The Seattle Seahawks either decided to stick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft or couldn't find a trade partner to move back. Either way, Seattle chose a player they wanted in Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at pick 32, and one of the reasons they didn't have anything to do with what he has accomplished on the field.
Specifically, in the post-first round press conference, head coach Mike Macdonald said the team liked Price because of his "committment to Notre Dame by staying there" instead of transferring, and Price's "loyalty" to the school.
Macdonald isn't a Fighting Irish fan, necessarily (he went to Georgia), but Seattle looks at the full person when choosing a prospect. However fast someone runs and however many touchdowns they scored in college, matters, of course, but so does the character of the person.
Seattle Seahawks chose Jadarian Price for reasons beyond football
The running back could have chosen to move on from Notre Dame. Not that he wasn't good, but the Fighting Irish also had Jeremiyah Love, and Love was going to get more touches. Instead of making a move that was solely for himself, Price decided to stay at a place where he was going to get a good education, had made friends, and could help the team win.
Loyalty matters in the NFL, too. Eventually, and hopefully after a fruitful first five seasons of his career, Price will be up for free agency or an extension. The hope, of course, is that he decides he likes the Seattle Seahawks so much that he wants to re-sign with the team in the Pacific Northwest.
Jadarian Price also is not going to be an off-field problem. He isn't likely to get in legal trouble or cause the team issues that have nothing to do with wins and losses on the field. Those are the kinds of players that general manager John Schneider and Mike Macdonald look for.
One might find it difficult to argue with their logic, too. The Seahawks just won the Super Bowl, so the players picked to be on the roster have bought into what the organization needs, and the organization has bought into them.
Players like DeMarcus Lawrence chose to be in Seattle, and while Price didn't have the same choice in 2026, he will one day. Maybe he will be one of the better running backs in Seattle history and be successful for most of a decade.
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