The Seattle Seahawks appear to have a plan for rookie running back Jadarian Price, but it is not as simple as handing him the backfield.
That was the clearest takeaway from ESPN’s Brady Henderson, who laid out where Price fits after Seattle selected the former Notre Dame running back with the No. 32 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Seahawks have a real opening after Kenneth Walker III left in free agency and Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL during the postseason, but Price is entering a deeper and more layered competition than a first-round label might suggest.
That makes this a timely piece of Seahawks news for two reasons. First, Seattle’s running back depth chart is already one of the more interesting roster questions of the offseason. Second, the Seahawks schedule is about to become the next major reference point for projecting Price’s path to early touches.
The NFL announced the full regular-season schedule will be released Thursday, May 14, and the Seahawks confirmed their schedule will be announced at 5 p.m. PT. Seattle already knows it will host the 2026 season opener on Wednesday, September 9, as the defending Super Bowl champion.
Jadarian Price’s Role and Depth Chart Positioning Laid out Clearly by ESPN
The most important part of Henderson’s ESPN report is the distinction between replacing Walker and becoming an instant workhorse.
ESPN framed Price as more of a Walker replacement than a clear-cut RB1, noting the Seahawks also plan to use Emanuel Wilson and George Holani while Charbonnet works his way back from knee surgery. That is an important clarification because Walker’s late-season surge may have changed how some fans remember Seattle’s backfield.
Before Charbonnet’s injury, Walker and Charbonnet functioned more like co-starters than a traditional RB1/RB2 setup. Henderson noted they played nearly the same number of snaps per game during the regular season, with Walker averaging about 15 touches and Charbonnet about 13.
That matters for Price because it lowers the odds that Seattle is asking him to immediately carry a 20-touch weekly workload. It also fits what head coach Mike Macdonald said about the rookie.
“He’ll get reps with all the groups probably at some point, and we’ll go from there,” Macdonald said, via ESPN. “We’re not just going to stick him right there with the 1s. He’s going to have ample opportunity to earn a bunch of carries and a bunch of touches.”
That quote is not a warning sign for Price. It is a realistic snapshot of how the Seahawks want to develop him.
Price was productive at Notre Dame, rushing for 1,420 yards and 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons while averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He also brings a big-play element on special teams after returning three kickoffs for touchdowns in college.
The cleaner question is not whether Price will play. It is how quickly he can separate from the rest of the room.
Holani has a strong case for third-down work because of his pass-catching and pass-protection value. Wilson gives Seattle a bigger back at 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds. Charbonnet’s timeline remains uncertain, but the Seahawks have not ruled out the possibility that he beats the average recovery window.
That puts Price in a flexible but competitive spot. He could lead the backfield by the fall, as ESPN noted, but the current read is that Seattle wants a committee with Price as the explosive centerpiece rather than the entire structure.
Seahawks Schedule Is the Next Big Topic to Track
The Seahawks schedule release on Thursday is not just a calendar event. It will help frame what kind of runway Price has early in the season.
Seattle already knows it will open the 2026 season at home on Wednesday, September 9. Once the full schedule is released, the more useful questions will be when Seattle’s toughest defensive fronts appear, how the short weeks are spaced out, and whether the Seahawks have an early stretch that encourages them to ease Price into a rotating role.
That matters because rookie running backs can become fantasy and fan talking points before their real usage is settled. Price has the draft status and explosiveness to draw attention, but Seattle’s depth chart suggests his role may be built week by week.
The schedule will also give a clearer picture of Charbonnet’s possible return context. If the Seahawks have a late-season stretch of NFC contenders or division games, Charbonnet’s availability could reshape the backfield at the most important point of the year. If Price is productive early, Seattle may have the luxury of keeping Charbonnet on a more patient recovery track.
For now, the safest read is that Price is one of the Seahawks’ most important rookies, not necessarily their Day 1 bell cow.
That is still a major role. Seattle lost Walker, has Charbonnet recovering from a serious knee injury and is trying to defend a Super Bowl title with a backfield that looks different than it did during the playoff run.
Price has a clear path to touches. ESPN’s report made that plain. The next step is seeing when those opportunities arrive, and Thursday’s Seahawks schedule release will start answering that question.
Seahawks Jadarian Price Role Comes Into Focus Before Schedule Release