The Seattle Seahawks are not going to get one last live look at Jadarian Price before the games start to count. The rookie running back will sit out Sunday night’s preseason meeting with the Tennessee Titans and also miss Friday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, a clear sign that Seattle would rather protect him than force the issue.
That makes sense, even if it trims away some of the evaluation value of the final stretch. Price missed time earlier this month with upper leg soreness, then ramped back up with padded practices this week after being sidelined the week before. At this point, the Seahawks seem comfortable enough with where he is physically to stop asking more of him in August.
Seattle is choosing caution, not chaos
This is not a surprising decision, and it is probably the smart one. The Seahawks’ running-back room has already been thinned by injuries this preseason, so there is little upside in pushing a rookie through two more exhibitions just to see him absorb a few more hits. If the goal is to have Price ready when the season opener arrives, then holding him out now is the cleanest path.
It also fits the broader preseason plan. The Seahawks’ usual starters are not expected to play any part in preseason action, and the opener against the New England Patriots is the first expected live game for Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DeMarcus Lawrence. In other words, Seattle is treating the preseason for what it is: a place to manage bodies, not chase drama.
Who gets the work instead?
With Price out, the carries will have to go elsewhere, and that means more opportunity for George Holani, Velus Jones Jr. and Anthony Hankerson. Emanuel Wilson is also part of the picture, giving Seattle a few different names to sort through while the rookie rests.
The Titans will play their starters through the first half on Sunday night, which only adds to the odd balance of the situation. Tennessee will be chasing rhythm with its top group, while the Seahawks are clearly more interested in the bigger picture. That is not a glamorous preseason stance, but it is a practical one.
There will be no grand unveiling here. No extra preseason cameo. No unnecessary risk. Jadarian Price’s first real chance to show what he can do will come when the season opener finally arrives, and for Seattle, that is apparently close enough.
