Seattle Seahawks rookie running back Jadarian Price made a clean first impression in Week 1, and Michael Bumpus thinks the follow-up could be a lot busier.
Price, the Notre Dame product, handled 10 carries for a team-high 52 yards in his first regular-season action, flashing right away with a 13-yard run on his opening NFL carry. That went down as Seattle’s longest rushing play of the day from a running back. He also added two catches for six yards.
Now the Seahawks head to Arizona to take on a Cardinals team that opened the season with a surprise win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and Bumpus expects Seattle to keep feeding its rookie back. During his Four Down Territory segment on Monday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, the Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver said he believes Price is in line for a major increase in touches.
“I think that Price is gonna be ready to go, and he’s going to get 20 touches,” Bumpus said. “… Whether it’s a combination of throwing the ball out the backfield and running the football, I think that the coaches are going to watch the same film that I watched and see what I see, see what everyone else saw.”
That would be a notable jump from Week 1, when Price was on the field for 24 of Seattle’s 50 offensive snaps. He finished with 12 total touches and a 50% usage rate, but Bumpus pointed to both what Price showed and the Seahawks’ quarterback situation as reasons the workload should climb. Seattle is expected to be down to backup quarterback Drew Lock, with Sam Darnold not being there.
“I’ve never had conversations with so many people about a guy who touched a ball 10 times for like 50-something yards,” Bumpus said. “Everyone’s excited.
They see exactly what he’s capable of doing. So, I think that against the Arizona Cardinals, with Drew Lock being under center and Sam Darnold not being there, you’re gonna have to lean on the run game a bit more, and we are going to see Price touch the ball 20 times - and he should touch the ball 20 times.”
Price’s college background also adds some context to the role he’s stepping into. While playing alongside star running back Jeremiyah Love, now with the Cardinals, he never had more than 15 offensive touches in a college game. Bumpus, though, said the rookie’s first outing made it clear why Seattle may be ready to expand his role.
“It was the speed (and) decisiveness. He just looks different,” Bumpus said. “I don’t think the Hawks have ever had a back like him.”
Price’s first NFL carry drew attention across social media, with FOX Sports: NFL posting the clip after the opener.
In Other News...
White Sox Just Took On A Rotation Risk Fans Can't Ignore
The trade that sent Luis Castillo from Seattle to Chicago looked like a clean deadline move at the time, but the early returns have only made the decision look more complicated. The veteran right-hander was still carrying the reputation built over his run with the Mariners, where he posted a 5.06 ERA in 99.2 innings before the deal, and the White Sox were willing to absorb the remaining commitment because they believed the upside was worth it.
Instead, Castillo has been shaky in Chicago, with a 7.76 ERA across 29 innings since the move, and the long-term money attached to him only sharpens the scrutiny. He is owed $21.6 million in 2027, which means this is more than a short-term gamble for the White Sox - it is a rotation bet with a price tag that will linger well beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Julio Rodrguez Gives Mariners Fans A Reason To Be Proud Right Now
Julio Rodriguez has given Mariners fans another reason to feel good about where the franchise is headed, this time off the field. The center fielder has been named Seattles nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, MLBs annual recognition for character, community involvement and philanthropy, a nod that reflects how quickly he has grown into more than just one of the teams brightest young stars.
Since making his major league debut in 2022, Rodriguez has used his No Limits Foundation to push for greater youth baseball access while also supporting under-resourced communities both locally and internationally. The league will choose the winner through a panel, and the honor will be presented during the 2026 World Series, leaving Seattle with the kind of recognition that extends well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Face A Randy Arozarena Decision That Could Get Complicated
Randy Arozarena has been the Mariners most productive bat this season, which has only sharpened the question looming over the front office as the year winds down. He is headed toward free agency, and a qualifying offer seems likely, a one-year pact worth about $22 million that would at least keep Seattle in the conversation if he tests the market.
What makes the decision trickier is everything beyond the box score. The Mariners have to weigh concerns about his defense, effort, age and leadership against the value of keeping an impact hitter in the middle of the lineup, all while sorting through their own financial flexibility and the murkier outlook around MLBs money landscape. In a market where one move can shape the roster for years, Arozarena is turning into the kind of call that is anything but straightforward. [Read more 🡒]