George

Holani

The soreness info comes from a team spokesperson, who evidently opted not to share helpful details. Price has been practicing hard, at times taking reps with the first-, second- and third-team offenses, so a little soreness is unsurprising. We might end up learning that he is dealing with a minor injury at some point, though. The team could simply be playing coy. Until then, don’t panic. Price’s first-team usage is encouraging for his rookie season outlook and we still have a month to go before the season begins. Seahawks RBs George Holani, Emanuel Wilson and Velus Jones all got time with the starting offense in Price’s stead.

No word from the team yet regarding Price’s absence. Hopefully, it’s ultimately a non-issue. Price has occasionally worked with the backups, while diligently refining his receiving skills. However, Price has also been working with the first-team offense, alongside RB George Holani, and was given the first rep in the Seahawks’ first full-team scrimmage at training camp. Holani would benefit if Price is sidelined by an injury. Hopefully, this is not the case.

Charbonnet is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in the Divisional Round last year. He can be activated from the PUP list at any time, though the most likely outcome is that he misses all of camp and is then moved to the reserve/PUP list. That would require him to miss at least the first four games of the season. With Kenneth Walker gone, the Seahawks will rely on first-round rookie Jadarian Price to start the year. George Holani and Emmanuel Wilson could also mix in for some touches, with Holani likely operating as the primary option on passing downs.

Henderson says the expectation is that Price will split work with incumbent George Holani and free agent signee Emanuel Wilson while the team waits for Zach Charbonnet (ACL) to make his return. We’ll see if a clear-cut RB1 emerges for the Seahawks during training camp, but this is shaping up to be a messy backfield during the early part of the season based on where things stand right now. One concern about Price entering the draft was his ability to contribute in the passing game, but Henderson notes that he “looked plenty capable as a pass catcher in the spring,” so it’s possible he could see more work than we initially anticipated. Price is the only running back with an ADP of note in early fantasy drafts, while both Holani and Wilson are going un-drafted more often than not. With Holani and Wilson being virtually free in drafts, their ADP presents a nice buying opportunity for fantasy managers looking for late-round sleepers that could make an early impact this season.

It has been tough for some to accept that the former undrafted free agent will have a role this season, but reports continue to indicate that Seahawks coaches trust him. Henderson notes that Holani performed well as a fill-in for RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) as a passing game player during the playoffs. Charbonnet has received positive rehab reports, and a Week 1 return is considered possible. In that scenario, Holani could still rotate in as a backup. If Charbonnet is sidelined to begin the year, Holani should handle the passing down role. Whether that usage facilitates a FLEX-worthy workload remains to be seen.

Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in Seattle’s first playoff game during their Super Bowl run. He has done some light work at minicamp and MacDonald hinted that he’s ahead of schedule. It would still be surprising to see Charbonnet on the field for Week 1, but it’s at least a good sign that MacDonald is leaving the door open. If he isn’t ready for the start of the season, George Holani would be in line to back up first-round rookie Jadarian Price. Holani would likely see the bulk of his snaps on passing downs, giving him some RB3 potential in PPR leagues.

The pass protection and receiving talents that Holani showcased in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX run earned him the coaching staff’s trust last year. Although Holani is operating as the Seahawks’ current RB1, The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell notes that the team is increasing rookie RB Jadarian Price’s first-team involvement. Given Price’s first-round draft capital, it seems likely that he will overtake Holani in the practice rotation at some point this summer, but Holani seemingly does have a chance to retain a role once the season begins. Stay tuned.

Per The Athletic’s Mike Dugar, Schneider “once again brought up Holani unprompted.” Schneider punctuated his thoughts on Holani by saying, “every time he goes in the game, he just performs.” Earlier this week, Dugar said he believes the Seahawks will “probably” use one of their first three picks on a running back, but left Holani out of his comments while exploring the topic. Today, the Seahawks signed former Packers RB Emanuel Wilson, a burly rusher who played well as a backup and fill-in starter last season. The Seahawks used RB Kenneth Walker, now a Chief, as their lead rusher. No. 2 RB Zach Charbonnet, currently rehabbing a torn ACL, led the way on passing downs and in short-yardage and green zone situations. His return date is unknown. Wilson and Holani are a lesser duo, so Dugar’s draft-day expectations have decent odds of coming to fruition. Perhaps Holani will get a chance to compete for a receiving role, though.

It’s worth noting that nowhere in this reaction to Day 1 did Dugar even mention “incumbent” back George Holani, who feels like a placeholder at the top of the depth chart while Zach Charbonnet recovers from a January ACL tear. The Seahawks will (our speculation) likely find a veteran back in free agency to head up a committee while Charbonnet recovers.

The transaction ensures both players will be with the team in 2026 as a qualifying tender applied to an exclusive rights free agent precludes them from negotiating with other franchises. The former undrafted free agent running back carved out a significant role down the stretch for the Super Bowl champs as a change of pace option behind Kenneth Walker following the season-ending injury to Zach Charbonnet, albeit requiring the injury to see regular action beyond special teams. Holani provides meaningful depth, at bare minimum. Also tendered was safety Ty Okada.