Seattle owns a championship roster, but Kenneth Walker III’s exit leaves rookie Jadarian Price carrying the biggest question in the Seahawks’ title defense.
The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, finished 14-3 and still somehow enter 2026 chasing validation.
That’s what happens when the Los Angeles Rams spend the offseason collecting stars.
Their additions of cornerback Trent McDuffie and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett have pushed Los Angeles to the top of at least one prominent NFL power ranking, with Seattle sitting directly behind its NFC West rival at No. 2.
The Seahawks don’t need another blockbuster move to remain contenders. They do, however, need rookie running back Jadarian Price to make one major concern disappear.
Seattle’s passing game is built to punish defenses.
Sam Darnold returns as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, while reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba gives him one of the NFL’s most dangerous targets.
The defense lost a few pieces from the league’s top scoring unit, but there’s still enough talent to expect another elite season.
The backfield is where things get uncomfortable.
Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III is gone. Zach Charbonnet is recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during the postseason.
That leaves Price, a first-round selection who wasn’t even Notre Dame’s primary starter last season, stepping into a role that could determine whether Seattle’s offense remains balanced.
That’s a massive burden, but draft status doesn’t come with patience.
Price possesses the burst, vision and athleticism to become an immediate difference-maker. Seattle didn’t invest a premium pick so he could spend the season watching from the sideline while the offense turns one-dimensional.
Third-year running back George Holani has reportedly impressed during training camp and could open the season with a significant role.
He may even receive the first opportunity to lead the backfield while Charbonnet works toward his return.
Still, the Seahawks need to find out quickly what Price can handle.
Throwing a rookie into the fire carries risk, but protecting him too much creates a different problem.
Opposing defenses will happily devote extra resources to Darnold and Smith-Njigba if Seattle can’t establish a credible rushing threat.
The Rams may have won the offseason headlines, but Seattle still owns the trophy.
To keep it, the Seahawks might have to trust the rookie who suddenly holds the key to their entire offense.
Follow Timm Hamm on X at @IndyCarTim.
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