Seahawks place rookie running back Jadarian Price on injured reserve

The Seahawks placed running back Jadarian Price on injured reserve on Saturday, the team announced, continuing what has been a rough start to his rookie season.

Price, a first-round choice in the draft last spring, is dealing with a chest injury he first suffered against Arizona on Sept. 20 and aggravated in practice on Wednesday.

Going on IR means Price must miss at least the next four games, starting Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field. The earliest he can return is for Seattle’s home game against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 2.

To take his place on the 53-man roster, the Seahawks signed running back Velus Jones Jr. off the practice squad.

Jones gives the Seahawks three running backs for the game Sunday along with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. Zach Charbonnet returned to practice this week off the physically unable to perform list but is not eligible to play until next Sunday against the 49ers at the earliest.

The Seahawks also elevated cornerback Trevon Diggs and safety Maxen Hook off the practice squad to the active roster for the game Sunday.

The Seahawks had announced Friday that Price would be out against the Chargers. At that time, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said it was unclear how long Price would be out but added that he hoped Price missing the game Sunday “hopefully gives him the opportunity to get healthy.’’’ 

Macdonald added: “By no means is this (Jadarian Price’s) fault or anything like that. This is what happens in football. Unfortunately, injuries happen. He can’t control these things. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do since he got here. He’s had a great attitude. He’s been a great teammate. He has a great future. He’s going to play great football for us when he comes back, whenever that is and we move forward.’’

Price was selected 32^nd overall out of Notre Dame and as the second running back taken in the draft. He was added to help Seattle replace departed free agent Kenneth Walker III, the MVP in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory over the Patriots on Feb. 8.

But little has gone according to plan since then.

Price battled a leg injury much of training camp that kept him out of playing in preseason games.

After a promising first regular-season game, when he had 52 yards on 10 carries in Seattle’s 13-10 victory over the Patriots, Price lost a fumble in the second quarter of the second game at Arizona, then suffered a chest injury in the second half.

Price recovered well enough to start last Sunday at Washington, but he lost a fumble on the second series and then was benched for much of the rest of the first half. He played 19 snaps overall with just 15 yards on five carries in Seattle’s 33-31 defeat against the Commanders.

Knowing that Price will miss at least four games might increase the urgency to get Charbonnet — who suffered a torn ACL in Seattle’s divisional playoff victory over the 49ers on Jan. 17 — back on the field. 

His return to practice designation Thursday opened a 21-day window when he can practice before he has to either be added to the 53-man roster or stay on the PUP list.

Charbonnet practiced Thursday and Friday, listed as limited, and Macdonald said he “looks fantastic.’’

Still, Seattle’s schedule might mean that a most realistic target date for his return is Oct. 25 against the Chiefs.

Seattle is home against the 49ers on Oct. 11 and then has a quick turnaround for a game at Denver on Oct. 15, and with Charbonnet not having practiced until this week and coming off an ACL it might be tough for him to make it back in time for either of those games.

That could mean that the Seahawks will have to ride out what looms as a tough part of the schedule with Wilson, Holani and Jones.

Wilson signed a one-year contract in March as a free agent after three seasons with Green Bay, where he rushed for 502 yards in 2024 and 496 in 2025.

Wilson got much of the work at the end of the Arizona game with Price ailing and finished with 92 yards on 21 carries, with 58 yards on 12 carries coming in the fourth quarter.

Wilson said after practice Friday that while it was unfortunate that Price was injured that he was hoping to show he can get the job done.

“It’s just being locked in on the little details that I need to be focused on this week and really ready to go just go out there and take advantage of my opportunities,’’ he said.

Holani is in his third year with the team after joining Seattle as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State in 2024.

He has 52 yards on 15 carries this season and 135 on 40 in his career.

Sponsored

Holani was listed as limited in practice all week with a hamstring injury but did not have a game status designation, meaning he is expected to play.

But if Holani is ailing it could mean a bigger role for Jones.

Jones has played only on special teams in two games this season.

But he has played in 39 NFL games since entering the league as a third-round choice of the Bears in 2022 out of Tennessee, where he ended his college career after also playing at USC.

Jones has been used as both a receiver and running back and has 197 yards on 24 carries in his career including 32 yards on four carries with Seattle last season. He joined the Seahawks’ practice squad last October and played in three games for Seattle last season and also this year against the Patriots and Commanders as a practice squad elevation.

“Velus is a guy that we were excited to bring on last year,’’ Macdonald said. “When he had his opportunities, he did a great job. He’s played great at gunner for us. On offense, he’s had a great offseason. Just like all these guys. If you get an opportunity, we’re excited to see what he can do. He’s worked hard to give himself a chance if that opportunity arises.”

The practice squad elevation for Diggs means he is on track to make his Seahawks debut. He signed as a free agent in August after being cut by the Packers in January. He led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021 while with Dallas but an ACL injury in 2023 has meant he has played in just 20 games since the 2023 season.

Diggs played against the Chiefs in Seattle’s final preseason game and made an interception during his one quarter of action.

Hook is being elevated for the second consecutive week to add depth at safety.

Seattle expects Julian Love to return after he missed the Washington game with a calf injury but Ty Okada was listed as questionable as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury — he practiced for the first time during the regular season Thursday — and Hook’s elevation might mean the team is not expecting Okada to play.