Smith-Njigba said Tuesday in his appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter" that rookie running back Jadarian Price had "a great training camp" and will help relieve pressure on the passing game in 2026.
After letting Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker walk in free agency, the Seahawks will be counting on Price -- the No. 32 overall pick in April's draft -- as well as George Holani and Emanuel Wilson (hamstring) to lead the backfield while Zach Charbonnet (knee) is out for at least the first four games of the season. Walker's tough running combined with Charbonnet's skills on passing downs helped ensure that defenses couldn't devote more resources to shutting down Smith-Njigba, who blossomed into arguably the NFL's top wideout in 2025. After taking most of his snaps out of the slot in his first two seasons, Smith-Njigba thrived while transitioning into more of a perimeter role, compiling a massive 119-1,793-10 receiving line over 17 games on his way to winning Offensive Player of the Year honors. A league-high 32.6 percent target share played a part in Smith-Njigba achieving his lofty production, but even if supporting pass catchers such as Rashid Shaheed and AJ Barner are more involved in 2026, Smith-Njigba could avoid a major dip in production if the Seahawks lean more heavily on the passing game as a whole. The Seahawks ranked third in the NFL with a 49.7 percent run rate in 2025, and despite Smith-Njigba's early praise for Price, it would still be surprising if the rookie was trusted right away to handle the sort of workloads that Walker and Charbonnet previously shouldered.