Jadarian Price Steps Into the Spotlight
Seattle Seahawks rookies report to training camp on Friday, July 17, and all eyes will be on first-round pick Jadarian Price. The 32nd overall pick out of Notre Dame is walking into one of the biggest opportunity stories of the 2026 fantasy season.
The reason is simple: Kenneth Walker III, who won Super Bowl LX MVP after rushing for 135 yards and 161 scrimmage yards in Seattle's 29-13 win over the New England Patriots, is gone. Walker signed a 3-year, $43.05 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs when free agency opened in March. The Seahawks chose not to apply the franchise tag ($14.293 million in 2026) and Walker later admitted he knew during the season he would not return.
Price Is the Man
Price inherits a starting role by default, at least to open the year. Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in Seattle's playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers and is working his way back. He has a late-July check-up scheduled and is reportedly progressing well, but the expectation is he misses the early part of the 2026 season.
That leaves Price as the clear lead back. The rest of the depth chart includes Emanuel Wilson, signed in free agency, and Greg Holani, who projects more as a passing-down option.
At Notre Dame, Price totaled 1,692 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns across 41 games, finishing his final college season with 674 yards on 113 carries (6.0 yards per carry) while complementing teammate Jeremiyah Love. He already signed his rookie contract, completing Seattle's full 2026 draft class. That is worth noting given the broader rookie contract landscape: six 2026 draftees remain unsigned heading into camp, including all four quarterbacks taken in the first two days of the draft (Mendoza, Simpson, Beck, and Allar), Jermod McCoy, and Gabe Jacas. Price being under contract means there are no holdout concerns to worry about.
Fantasy Outlook
Price is a legitimate RB2 with upside heading into camp. The Seahawks have a strong offensive line and a proven commitment to running the football, so the opportunity is real. The biggest question mark is his passing game role -- he saw just 13 targets over his final two college seasons, so that side of his game is largely untested at the NFL level.
If Charbonnet misses significant time, Price could see a full workload including red zone opportunities that Walker converted at a high rate. Veteran camp competition and Seattle's early schedule will be worth monitoring as the preseason unfolds.
Seattle veterans report July 24, with the first open practice scheduled for July 25.
