Jadarian Price dealing with ‘lower-body soreness’

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said “you start putting days and (a) timetable on it, it’s just...a young guy like that, let’s just go attack the heck out of it until he can come back and practice again.” The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell believes it “doesn’t sound like Price is playing” in Seattle’s first preseason game on Saturday. This injury has morphed from “leg soreness” to “upper body soreness.” We don’t have any real concerns about Price’s injury holding him out long-term, but it’s possible the missed reps keep him from a bigger workload when the regular season arrives.

This is just further confirmation that none of the Seattle backs are primed to see big workloads in 2026 unless the backfield struggles with injuries. Macdonald said he’s been impressed by rookie RB Jadarian Price, who he compared favorably to Dalvin Cook. With Zach Charbonnet recovering from his 2025 knee injury, Fowlers said George Holani and Emanuel Wilson would be backfield factors early in the season. Fowlers added that Price’s “profile should only grow as we approach September.” For now Price is sidelined with a leg injury.

At least that was coach Mike Macdonald’s assessment after Price missed his second consecutive session Saturday. Any missed practice time can be a big deal for a rookie in camp, but Price appears to have avoided calamity. Fowler confirms Price has “highly impressed Seattle in camp.” Looking to dominate early-down reps before Zach Charbonnet’s return, Price is reportedly also trying to get up to speed as a pass catcher. That would be a nice added bonus, but any early-season fantasy value would almost certainly be derived from a two-down workload and goal-line carries.

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.

It’s one rep in one practice, but it is certainly notable after the Seahawks had previously reserved those honors for holdover George Holani during the offseason program. Beat writer Gregg Bell also reports Price “continued his daily regimen of catching pass,” adding “it’s constant.” Sam Darnold expects an increase in running back targets to be a feature of new OC Brian Fleury’s offense. “Yeah, I think it helps the quarterback a ton because it does present a different problem for the defense,” Darnold said. So far, everything is breaking Price’s way as he looks to solidify RB2 status in fantasy, though there are many more padded practices and preseason appearances to go.

Per Bell, Seahawks coaches are “maximizing” Price’s reps. He’s played on the first-, second- and third-team offenses in 11-on-11 drills thus far. If Price hopes to smash his fantasy football ADP, earning a role in the passing game sure would help. Although he is an accomplished runner and returner, he has just 15 receptions on his college resumé. We’ll continue to monitor Price’s progress in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned.

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.