Seahawks Weren't Actually Happy With Their RB Room

Once the Seattle Seahawks lost Kenneth Walker III in free agency, the future of the franchise's running back position became murky.

Zach Charbonnet will miss much of the season due to a torn ACL, and there was no clear future starter on the roster. General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald gave themself an option by signing free agent Emanuel Wilson.

The expected training camp competition would have been between Wilson, George Holani and Kenny McIntosh. That all changed when the Seahawks selected former Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the No. 32 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday.

Offseason talk didn't matter

Even though running back appeared to be a big hole, Macdonald insisted that the team had confidence in the players already on the team. Drafting Price where they did completely blew up that notion.

"I'll tell you this, I think people are kind of sleeping on the guys we have a little bit," Macdonald said per Seahawks.com. "I mean, George Holani played great for us down the stretch. What was the number on Charb's [Zach Charbonnet] touchdowns? I mean, Zach's a great player. He's not going to miss the whole year. And then Kenny Mac [McIntosh] [will] be able to come back, and then the guys we added. So, I'm excited about how that room goes from here, and then, obviously, just like the rest of the team, any opportunity to take our team to the next level, we're going to look at it. So that's how John [Schneider] rolls."

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Macdonald also hinted in that quote that they could still be looking for upgrades, which means they were big fans of Price even though he wasn't Notre Dame's primary running back. Still, he was productive and has a ton of seemingly untapped potential.

Once Schneider suggested the team was looking to move back in the draft, it seemed even more unlikely they would go for a running back in the first round.

After the first round of the draft concluded, Macdonald and Schneider told reporters that Price's loyalty to Notre Dame despite not being the lead back and his personality were major reasons they selected him. A trade back seemed likely, but it didn't happen.

They're placing a lot of value on a running back. Only three other running backs have been picked by the Seahawks in the first round (Curt Warner, Shaun Alexander and Rashaad Penny), and the first two ended up being long-term, productive starters for the franchise.

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price (24) celebrates with wide receiver Malachi Fields (0) after a Price touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That places lofty expectations on Price and also creates another potential logjam in the backfield whenever Charbonnet returns.

The best way to justify the pick is on Price's potential and a belief that the Super Bowl window is still open. With both of those being true, it does make sense. Missing a starting-caliber running back for potentially half the season could significantly hinder the offense. Now, they have one.

It's a good reminder that none of the pre-draft talk by the team really matters until the pick is made. Teams are always trying to hide their cards, and the Seahawks did it well, even though Price was rumored to be a candidate with the pick.

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