Seattle Seahawks Make Bold Mid-Season Move—Here’s What It Means for the 2026 Playoff Race

The Seattle Seahawks are getting a jolt of fresh legs ahead of Monday Night Football, activating explosive rookie running back Jadarian Price from injured reserve just hours before kickoff against the Chicago Bears. Price, Seattle’s first-round pick, missed the last four games with a chest injury but still owns 119 rushing yards on only 28 carries—a tantalizing 4.3-yard average that head coach Mike Macdonald hopes can ignite an offense already ranked top-10 in yards per play. Why the timing matters • Week 8 momentum: Seattle sits at 4-3, one game behind San Francisco in the NFC West. A primetime win keeps the Seahawks firmly in the playoff picture. • Backfield depth: Veteran Zach Charbonnet is also set for his season debut after rehabbing an ACL tear, giving Seattle its projected one-two punch for the first time all year. • Roster shuffle: To clear space, the club waived reserve back Robert Henry Jr. and elevated WR Montorie Foster Jr. plus OT Bobby Hart from the practice squad, insurance for injuries to Charles Cross (ankle) and Rashid Shaheed (knee). What Price brings Speed on the perimeter and soft hands out of the backfield turn routine dump-offs into chain-moving plays. In three games before the injury, he forced eight missed tackles and posted a 32-yard kick return, evidence of the home-run element missing from Seattle’s ground attack. Matchup to watch Chicago’s defense ranks 29th against the run, surrendering 138.4 yards per game. Expect offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to script early outside-zone looks and wheel routes that put Price in space against slower Bears linebackers. Bigger picture Seattle’s front office doubled down on a win-now mindset last week by landing All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson from the Colts. With Nelson pulling inside and Price/Charbonnet healthy, the Seahawks suddenly field their most complete offensive unit since the 2024 playoff run. Key stats • Seahawks yards per rush with Price on field: 4.9 • Bears missed tackles vs RBs this season: 51 (t-31st NFL) • Seattle red-zone TD rate weeks 5-7 without Price: 46% (22nd); weeks 1-3 with Price: 64% (6th) Looking ahead After the Bears, Seattle enters a gauntlet—at 49ers, vs Rams, at Chiefs—that will determine postseason seeding. A strong debut from Price could establish a balanced identity the Seahawks have chased all autumn. Bottom line The return of Jadarian Price positions the Seattle Seahawks to unleash their full offensive blueprint in front of a national audience, a crucial step as the December playoff race looms.