Holani takes backseat in Week 2 win over Cardinals

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Price’s injury responded well to treatment this week. The rookie running back got “a ton of reps” in practices and is reportedly ready to be “full go” against the Commanders on Sunday. Price is a low-end RB2/FLEX for the occasion, after splitting carries with RB Emanuel Wilson and ceding passing down reps to RB George Holani (knee) in Week 2.

Price is on track to play in Week 3 against the Commanders, but he remained limited today while receiving specialist, running back George Holani (knee) upgraded to full participation. North-south running back Emanuel Wilson led the team with 21 carries in Week 2. The Seahawks could employ a committee again this week.

Price entered Wednesday expected to practice and officially received a limited designation due to a chest injury he suffered in Week 2. Also limited was George Holani (knee). With both backs starting out limited, their Week 3 statuses are up in the air. If one or both can’t go, Emanuel Wilson is the primary beneficiary for fantasy purposes against the Commanders.

Holani forced a true committee with first-round rookie Jadarian Price, only seeing two fewer carries than him. Emanuel Wilson also mixed in for a pair of rushes. Holani served as the team’s primary back on third and fourth downs, but he was only targeted once and ultimately ran fewer routes than Price. With a much more favorable matchup versus Arizona on tap, Holani will have some low-end FLEX appeal next week.

This report largely affirms what we already believed to be true. Price can be expected to lead the backfield in carries, although Fowler thinks his workload will fall short of 20 carries per game. Few running backs hit that mark anyway, so that is hardly surprising. A report from The Athletic suggested RB George Holani could be trusted to handle high-value touches on passing downs and is scoring position, which hurts Price’s outlook. If only two running backs are involved, though, Price should provide usable stat lines. If Emanuel Wilson gets involved this could become a fantasy-unfriendly situation.

Destin reasonably wonders, “how much can Seattle feature Price as a pass catcher if he’s not trusted to block on third down?” He also thinks RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) will replace Holani whenever Charbonnet returns. Destin adds that “Price was not drafted as a direct replacement for Walker,” though he expects Price to handle a similar role. Losing high-value touches to Holani and Charbonnet could keep Price stuck in the RB3/FLEX tier, though, in a sense, he controls his own destiny and could force the coaching staff to increase his red zone usage with high-quality play.

Though Price did not play a single preseason snap and has missed time over the past few weeks with muscle soreness, he is widely expected to function as Seattle’s lead back in Week 1 against the Patriots, with Zach Charbonnet (knee) on the PUP list to begin the regular season. Holani, however, should see significant usage in the Seahawks backfield. His “receiving and pass-blocking skills seem perfectly suited for third-down work,” Henderson said. Emanuel Wilson, Henderson added, will be the “power complement to those two” if he’s fully recovered from an undisclosed injury. “Whatever plan Seattle has going into Week 1 will start to change once Charbonnet returns,” Henderson said. “Whenever Charbonnet is all the way back, it’s easy to envision the Seahawks splitting the work in their backfield fairly evenly between him and Price the way they did last season with Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III.” Sam Darnold has called Price a “special player” who excels as a pass catcher. For now it appears he’ll be an early-down option for Seattle’s offense.

After months of Seahawks front office officials and coaches saying Charbonnet could be active for Week 1 against the Patriots, he’ll miss at least the first four games of the regular season as he recovers from his 2025 ACL tear. That leaves rookie RB Jadarian Price as the likely lead back to start the season, with George Holani perhaps functioning as the backfield’s pass-catching option and potential goal line back. Price, who missed time with lower body injuries in August, should be a full go for Week 1. He should be treated as a flex option to start the year.

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.