The Seattle Seahawks knew they had little hope that running back Zach Charbonnet would be ready for Week 1 of the regular season after he injured his knee in the last playoffs last year. This is one of the main reasons the team chose Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
In essence, Price is going from college backup to NFL starter in his first year. He played at Notre Dame and got RB2 reps behind Jeremiyah Love, who was taken by NFC West rival the Arizona Cardinals, higher in the first round. The difference between Price and Love's expectations is quite different, however.
Love's Cardinals are expected to be bad and have little hope for success in the brutal division. If the running back is good, fine. His team is likely watching the playoffs when they begin at the end of the season.
Seattle Seahawks need Jadarian Price to be great immediately in the 2026 season
Price, though, needs to prove he was worth taking in the first round in Week 1 because without Charbonnet involved, Price is the clear alpha of the running back group. It is telling that, even while he missed some practices with a slight leg injury, he was held out of the preseason completely. That is how valuable he will be to the team attempting to defend its Super Bowl title.
New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme simply won't work well without a strong running game. Price is almost certainly RB1, but he will get spelled by backups George Holani and Emanuel Wilson, at least until Charbonnet can return.
Charbonnet was placed on the physically unable to perform list when final roster cuts were made, which means he has to miss the first four games of the season, at least. If he can return by Week 5, excellent. The initial expectation was that he might not come back until December.
That could still be the case, of course, but he offered some positive signs in training camp, even while he wasn't practicing. He was walking fine, for whatever that is worth. Maybe he can start doing drills soon.
For the first month of the season, however, the running back show will belong to Jadarian Price, who not only needs to run the ball well (and he's been electric in camp) but also pass-protect perfectly and be effective catching the ball out of the backfield. His versatility won't only be a boon to the offense, but an integral part of any success the unit has.
Can Price be great from the beginning of his career? No one knows. With Zach Charbonnet out, the Seattle Seahawks and their fans are about to find out quickly if the rookie can help lead the team to the playoffs again.
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