Seahawks News: Jadarian Price Still in the Plans
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the team has not lost faith in running back Jadarian Price after he lost a fumble for the second week in a row on Sunday in a Week 3 upset loss to the Washington Commanders.
“We’re going to continue to give him the ball. We trust him, and we know he’s going to work really hard to do his part as well,” Macdonald said.
The response to this fumble was notably different from the one before it. Seattle went right back to Price after he put the ball on the ground in the Week 2 win over division rival Arizona, but this time, the Seahawks did not show the same patience. Price fumbled at the 11:06 mark of the first quarter and did not get another carry until the 12:49 mark of the third quarter, though he was targeted twice as a receiver during that stretch.
He finished the day with five carries for 15 yards and one catch for 7 yards, playing just 19 of Seattle’s 67 offensive snaps. Emanuel Wilson and George Holani split the rest of the early-down and change-of-pace work almost evenly, each logging 24 snaps.
For the season, Price has 119 yards on 28 carries, a 4.3-yard-per-carry average, to go with four catches for 21 yards. He has yet to find the end zone through three games and has now lost two fumbles.
Macdonald did not sound ready to pull back on Price’s role long-term, even after benching him for most of the first half Sunday. “I know he didn’t come back after the initial fumble. We decided to calm it down and bring him back after the half, but he’ll be fine. He’s going to figure it out,” Macdonald said. He also praised Price’s ability and work ethic, adding that ball security is the one thing standing between him and a bigger role.
Wilson and Holani have both shown they can be effective complementary pieces when called upon, giving Seattle flexibility if Price’s fumbling issues continue. Neither back has separated himself as a true lead option, but their steady play has made it easier for the coaching staff to sit Price for stretches without the offense stalling out entirely.
The fumbling trend is worth watching closely. Two lost fumbles in as many games is enough to affect touch distribution even when a coaching staff says publicly that it still believes in a player, and Sunday’s benching suggests Seattle’s patience has limits if the ball security issues persist into Week 4 and beyond.
Seattle hosts the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. Price still profiles as a touchdown-dependent flex option given the crowded backfield, and the presence of both Wilson and Holani will likely continue to cap his upside in most formats until he either takes a firmer hold on the early-down work or starts finding the end zone.
