For much of the spring, pundits speculated whether George Holani could be part of the solution for the Seattle Seahawks to replace Kenneth Walker III this season. Now in training camp, Holani is out proving that to be the case.
On Friday, Fansided’s 12th Man Rising’s Ernesto Cova called Holani “a camp surprise that feels earned rather than forced.”
“On paper, Seahawks running backs would compete for the RB2 spot behind Price,” Cova wrote. “That might still be the case, but if Holani wins that competition as expected, he’ll be much more than a situational guy out of their backfield…
“The Seahawks will give Jadarian Price as many touches as he can handle, but he’s a rookie first and foremost. He had some ball-security issues at Notre Dame, and as Jeremiyah Love’s sidekick, he’s not used to the type of workload that usually comes with being a primary ball-carrier.
“That should leave the door wide open for Holani to make a name for himself earlier in the season.”
To open the regular season, the Seahawks will be without both of their top two running backs from their 2025 Super Bowl campaign. Walker signed in free agency with the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Zach Charbonnet will still be recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered in January.
So, even if Jadarian Price has a quick start to his career, Holani could play a significant role for Seattle.
Seahawks’ George Holani Pushing for Bigger Offensive Role
GettyRunning back George Holani is performing well at Seattle Seahawks training camp.
Price is the biggest name the Seahawks added to their running back room over the offseason. That’s a main reason why pundits see the first-rounder as the obvious choice to take Walker’s snaps and carries.
But as Cova detailed, Price’s inexperience could lead to Seattle needing to split the backfield repetitions in September. Without Charbonnet available, that means Holani will have an opportunity.
Holani is entering his third season with the Seahawks. Seattle added him as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
As a rookie, Holani received three carries while playing five offensive snaps. Last season, he had 73 rushing yards on 22 carries. In both campaigns, Holani averaged 3.3 yards per attempt.
During the 2025 regular season, Holani also had two catches for 15 yards.
In the final two playoff games last season without Charbonnet, Holani ran for 10 yards on five attempts. He also had four receptions for 34 yards.
Seahawks RB Depth Chart at Training Camp
GettyThe running back competition appears to be heating up for Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks at training camp.
Holani appears on track for a larger offensive role in 2026. But it’s not guaranteed. The Seahawks have some other intriguing running backs on their roster, most notably Emanuel Wilson.
With the Green Bay Packers last season, Wilson ran for 496 yards with three touchdowns. He also had 502 yards on the ground with four scores while serving as Josh Jacobs‘ primary backup in 2024.
That’s a lot more production that what Holani has produced with the Seahawks. But Cova sees Holani having an edge over Wilson because of his pass-catching ability.
Wilson recorded 15 catches for 99 yards last season.
The Seahawks also have Jacardia Wright and Velus Jones Jr. at running back on their training camp roster.
Seahawks RB Vying for Bigger Role at NFL Training Camp