Jadarian Price was limited to just **two carries** after a first-quarter fumble in Week 3, marking his **second fumble** through his first three weeks of play. This isn’t the start we wanted for the rookie running back, and it’s putting his season in serious jeopardy.
Price’s Uphill Battle Just Got Steeper
You know how it goes in the Emerald City: for a player to truly excel here, especially a rookie, they have to be near perfect. The Seahawks don’t mess around when it comes to limiting their top running backs in the regular season. We saw it last season with Kenneth Walker III, and that was *after* he established himself. Price is starting from a limited role, making his uphill battle even steeper. With Zach Charbonnet expected back at some point, this rookie needs to earn trust and a bigger role fast. If he doesn’t, we might be waiting a long time to see him make any real impact for the 12s.
Early Season Breakouts and Volume Bombs
Speaking of running backs making moves, look at what Jeremiyah Love is doing out in Arizona. In just his third career game, the rookie snagged a wild **91.3% of Arizona’s carries** in Week 3! That’s the third-highest percentage for any rookie this week. He had **21 carries**, up from an average of 10 in the first two games. Coach Mike LaFleur has always been about the ‘hot hand,’ but with Tyler Allgeier getting only two carries, it sure looks like Love, a top-five NFL Draft pick, is taking over. He even caught **five passes on five targets** out of 52 attempts against the 49ers. If this workload holds, we’re talking RB1 numbers in good matchups, RB2 otherwise. That’s a serious early-season breakout.
And how about George Kittle? He’s finally back to full strength, rocking an **89% route share** after Week 3. With a laundry list of guys hurt around him,Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Christian Kirk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jake Tonges,Kittle is seeing a ton of volume. After Evans left Sunday’s game, Kittle got five of the remaining ten targets, finishing with **six receptions, 82 yards, and two touchdowns**. Deebo Samuel Sr. is in more of a gadget role, getting zero targets, so Kittle is clearly the go-to. He’s always been efficient, but this volume makes him unstoppable. Then there’s James Cook III for Buffalo. He’s got the **highest rate of RB carries in the NFL** this season, a whopping **97.1%** for his team. Yeah, Josh Allen still vultures some goal-line looks, but Cook is getting **44% of those attempts** this season, up from 39% last year. He’s making explosive runs, too, with **four runs over 20 yards** already. None for touchdowns yet, but last season he had nine total with five scores. The dude is cooking, and the best is definitely still to come.
So, for Jadarian Price and our Seahawks, the message is clear: hold onto that rock. With Zach Charbonnet waiting in the wings, Price needs to prove he can protect the ball and handle the pressure to earn a more substantial role. We need to see that trust established, and fast. The season is still young, but these early trends dictate a lot. Keep your eyes on Price next week and see if he can turn things around for the Emerald City.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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