Seattle’s rookie running back situation has taken an odd turn, and it’s put two former Notre Dame teammates in the same injury conversation.
Jadarian Price had been building momentum in Seahawks training camp. He looked like a smart first-round pick for Seattle, showing the kind of burst that jumps off the field, plus the ability to catch the ball and hold up in pass protection. For a stretch, everything pointed toward him pushing for the Week 1 job.
Then the injury news hit.
Price has been dealing with “upper leg soreness” and has missed a week of practice, which makes his path to opening the season as the starter a lot shakier. That alone would be enough to complicate Seattle’s backfield plans, but he’s not the only former Irish runner on the shelf.
Jeremiyah Love, Price’s Notre Dame teammate, is now in the same boat - though his issue sounds worse. Love first reported ankle soreness, and the team later found a high ankle sprain.
He’ll miss the rest of the preseason, and those injuries can go either way. He could be back before the season starts and handle a normal workload, or he could be out for a month or longer.
That’s where the comparison between Seattle and Arizona gets interesting. The Seahawks have more margin for error.
They’ve got a strong roster overall, and a defense that has already shown it can win championships. The offense wants to lean on the run, but it still needs the right pieces to make that work.
Price’s status matters, especially with Zach Charbonnet also likely not ready after last season’s knee injury.
Arizona doesn’t have that kind of cushion. The Cardinals are already dealing with a roster that doesn’t measure up, shaky quarterback play, and yet another reset with a new coaching staff.
In that setting, losing Love would hurt a lot more. The NFC West is unforgiving, and Seattle has to deal with the 49ers and Rams too, but the Seahawks are in a better position to withstand a hit at running back than the Cardinals are.
Still, the Cardinals need Love, and if he can’t go, their offense gets even thinner. He brings the kind of quick-change ability and open-field speed that can alter a defense’s approach. Right now, though, that part of his game is in doubt.
There’s also a timing wrinkle here. Love could be back by Week 1, or at least by Week 2, which is when Seattle heads to State Farm Stadium to face Arizona.
That would give Price and Love their first chance to line up against each other as opponents. For the players, the hope is simple: both are on the field, and they can catch up afterward.
For the Seahawks’ fans, the hope is even simpler - even if Love plays, Seattle wins comfortably.
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