SEA George Holani
NFL player. Position: RB. Team: SEA.
Quick Facts
- Position: RB
- Team: SEA (Seattle Seahawks)
- Experience: 3rd year in NFL (undrafted free agent)
2026 Outlook
Price on IR opens unexpected committee role (Oct 3): Jadarian Price was placed on injured reserve with a chest injury, thrust-opening Holani's opportunity for meaningful work. Holani will split backfield duties with Emanuel Wilson in Price's 4+ game absence, with coach Mike Macdonald expecting both to "carry the load." This represents a significant upgrade from the third-down/goal-line specialty role Holani was occupying before Price's injury. Holani flashed in this exact scenario during the 2025 playoffs, replacing injured Zach Charbonnet in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. His value is temporary and contingent on Price's recovery timeline, but the near-term opportunity could elevate him to league-wide relevance if he produces. (per Seahawks place Jadarian Price on injured reserve with chest injury)
Pre-Price-injury context: Third-year RB positioned as a breakout candidate heading into 2026 after Seattle let Kenneth Walker III walk in free agency (to Kansas City Chiefs at $14.3M annually). With first-round RB Jadarian Price and Holani as the clear-cut backfield options, Holani is being significantly underrated and getting first-team reps at OTAs according to ESPN reporting. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury—a run-game specialist who was part of Kyle Shanahan's staff with San Francisco—is expected to unlock Holani's potential in an outside-zone run scheme. Fleury's expertise in ground-game design should provide meaningful opportunity for Holani to carry a featured role in Seattle's offensive system (per Once-Questioned 2024 NFL Draft Prospects Proving Doubters Wrong at OTAs - Sports Illustrated). Holani remains an underrated asset with an opportunity to emerge as a starting RB if he can hold off competition from Jadarian Price and continue the success he showed in the playoffs.
At minicamp (June 9), Holani opened as the first RB behind Sam Darnold but saw Price getting more first-team reps throughout the week and entire drives with the starters. Holani's playoff heroics and blocking in the postseason are still valued by coaches, but the rookie Price is gaining ground in the depth chart (per Seahawks minicamp: Zach Charbonnet surprise, the full Devon Witherspoon, more)).
Seattle depth chart (Aug 21): Fantasy Alarm notes Holani has been listed as RB1 on Seattle's unofficial depth chart with Zach Charbonnet still in recovery and Emmanuel Wilson missing much of camp—making Holani a sneaky handcuff-plus if the backfield splits with rookie Jadarian Price. (per Must Know NFL Injuries, News, and Rumors for Fantasy Football Drafts and Rankings This Weekend - Fantasy Alarm)
Week 1 specialized role (Sept 4): Heading into the regular season, The Athletic's Andrew Destin reports that Holani is being used as the third-down and short-yardage/goal-line specialist, with Jadarian Price featured on first and second downs and Emanuel Wilson mixing in occasionally. RotoBaller ranks Holani at RB75 on the Week 1 waiver wire (compared to Price at RB22), noting the limited fantasy appeal given his niche role. When Zach Charbonnet returns from his ACL recovery, Holani is expected to slide back into a third-string role (per Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings Pre-Week 1 Updates). However, Fantasy Alarm's pre-draft assessment flags Holani as receiving a "heavy dose" of early-season touches while Jadarian Price leads the backfield and Zach Charbonnet recovers from IR-R status, suggesting committee work beyond the third-down role. (per Final NFL Fantasy Football News, Rumors, Injuries, and Sleepers To Know for Draft Weekend).
Sept 8 free-look waiver strategy: Fantasy Alarm recommends Holani as a "free look" waiver target for leagues with unlocked benches on Wednesday/Thursday games—the idea being to add him, watch him perform in the Super Bowl rematch (Seattle vs. New England), then drop him for another upside play. The article notes that Holani beat out Emmanuel Wilson for the complementary role and has legitimate path to significant work if Jadarian Price or Zach Charbonnet are unavailable. Given 97% league-wide availability and the two-time Pro Bowl appearance in the postseason after Charbonnet's injury, Holani represents the type of low-risk, high-reward desperation stash that can yield league-winning upside if circumstances break right. (per 2026 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 1: MarShawn Lloyd, Ja'Kobi Lane Top Picks)..
May 31 breakout analysis: Sports Illustrated projects Holani as having a strong opportunity to break out in 2026, pointing to Charbonnet's mid-season ACL recovery and Ken Walker III's free-agent departure to Kansas City. Holani's playoff performance (appearances in NFC Championship and Super Bowl after Charbonnet injury) demonstrated capability in pressure moments. Analyst expects him to enter the season as the third-down/passing-down option with fellow RB Jadarian Price handling early-down work. Realistic 2026 projection: ~30 catches and ~500 yards from scrimmage, which would establish him as a meaningful fantasy asset. His window is best in first few months while Charbonnet recovers, but if he performs, could earn lasting role. (per George Holani Has A Great Chance To Break Out In 2026 - Sports Illustrated)
Role / Depth Chart
Starting RB competing with Jadarian Price. Getting first-team reps at OTAs.
Injury Status
Week 4 opportunity (Oct 2): With Jadarian Price ruled out for Week 4 vs. Chargers (aggravated chest injury), Holani will get a "heavy dose" of carries alongside Emanuel Wilson. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald expects Holani and Wilson to "carry the load" in Price's absence. This marks Holani's opportunity to prove himself in an expanded role (per Jadarian Price Out After Aggravating Chest Injury & Other Seahawks Injury Updates).
Zach Charbonnet remains sidelined with season-ending torn ACL suffered during 2025 playoffs.
Recent News
- 2026-09-06 — Will Seahawks RB Jadarian Price lose carries to George Holani in 2026? (Will Seahawks RB Jadarian Price lose carries to George Holani in 2026?)
- 2026-09-09 — Fantasy football start or sit Week 1: Jadarian Price, George Holani, Rashid Shaheed (Fantasy football start or sit Week 1: Jadarian Price, George Holani, Rashid Shaheed)
- 2026-07-16 — George Holani: The Gut Check No.678 (George Holani: The Gut Check No.678)
- 2026-07-10 — Why Seahawks Should Bench George Holani, Go All in With Jadarian Price (Why Seahawks Should Bench George Holani, Go All in With Jadarian Price)
- 2026-05-31 — George Holani Has A Great Chance To Break Out In 2026 (George Holani Has A Great Chance To Break Out In 2026)
- 2026-06-22 — 2026 NFL training camp report dates, joint practices, top storyline for all 32 teams (2026 NFL training camp report dates, joint practices, top storyline for all 32 teams)
- 2026-06-22 — What we learned from every NFL team during offseason workouts - The Athletic (What we learned from every NFL team during offseason workouts - The Athletic)
- 2026-06-22 — 2026 NFL offseason: Biggest surprise players on each team (2026 NFL offseason: Biggest surprise players on each team)
- 2026-06-22 — What we learned from every NFL team during offseason workouts (What we learned from every NFL team during offseason workouts)
- 2026-05-30 — NFL Backfield Rankings: Grading Every Team's Running Backs [2026] (NFL Backfield Rankings: Grading Every Team's Running Backs [2026])