Jadarian Price was back on the field Monday, and for the Seattle Seahawks that was the kind of update that matters more than anything that happened in a messy preseason opener.
Price had been out with upper leg soreness and missed close to a week of practice, which was enough to set off some nerves after the first-round draft pick sat out the team’s preseason Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys. He may not have been headed for action in that game anyway, and he might not suit up when Seattle faces the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, August 23, but the bigger issue was getting him back into practice. On that front, the Seahawks got the answer they wanted.
And Price looked like himself.
He stood out in practice with the same burst that has turned heads before, and he showed the kind of hands that make him more than just a runner. Missing a week didn’t seem to slow him down at all. If anything, his return only strengthened the case that he should open the regular season as Seattle’s starter at running back.
That’s where the real competition sits. Zach Charbonnet is the main challenger for RB1, but he’s coming off a knee injury that ended his season in last year’s Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers. Charbonnet has been with Seattle for three seasons and is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but the early part of the season could be affected by that injury.
Eventually, he should be back. By then, the Seahawks are hoping Price has already locked down the job for the long haul.
There are other names in the mix, too. George Holani has clearly earned trust inside the building, and veteran free agent signing Emanuel Wilson looks like a reliable option in smaller doses. Still, neither offers the same kind of speed or big-play juice that Price brings.
Charbonnet brings more power, but Seattle is looking for the sort of breakaway threat Kenneth Walker III provided when he was healthy. Walker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, and Price is the obvious candidate to fill that role.
What makes Monday’s showing even more encouraging is that Price did it against what the Seahawks believe is an elite defense. If he’s already flashing like that in practice, the thinking goes, the games may come a little easier.
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The one area that keeps the picture from looking completely finished is at quarterback, where Seattle was ranked 16th. That split between a strong supporting cast and a more modest view of the most important position is what makes the ranking so interesting for Seahawks fans, since it suggests the organization has done a lot right everywhere but the most obvious place still leaves some room for debate. [Read more 🡒]