How Will UFL Star Ricky Person Jr. Fit With Seattle Seahawks?

The Seattle Seahawks are adding even more depth in the backfield, but how will they use it?

Mar 30, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Birmingham Stallions running back Ricky Person (23) runs for a touchdown past Arlington Renegades linebacker Storey Jackson (16) during the second half at Choctaw Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks are the latest team to dip into the UFL well as they've signed running back Ricky Person Jr. of the UFL-champion Birmingham Stallions, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports.

Person, 24, played a key role in the Stallions winning the inaugural UFL championship. He rushed for 295 yards and a league-high six touchdowns in 10 games, and saved his best performance for last as he rushed for 102 yards in Birmingham's 25-0 win over the San Antonio Brahmas in Sunday's championship game. He also had 150 receiving yards on the season.

Before that, Person was a standout running back at North Carolina State. The Wake Forest, N.C. native rushed for 1,949 yards and 14 touchdowns in four seasons with the Wolfpack. He also caught 57 passes for 482 yards and four touchdowns in that time.

Person's only prior NFL experience came as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens, though he was waived after just two months with the team and never appeared in a regular-season game.

That's all well and good, but why did the Seahawks actually sign Person? After all, their top two running backs in Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet aren't going anywhere, and they have plenty of depth between Kenny McIntosh and undrafted rookies George Holani, Kobe Lewis, and Tamerik Williams.

In simple terms, Person has a lot of challenges to overcome to compete for a roster spot, but it's not impossible. Spring League signings are a new trend in the NFL, and in a few select cases, they've turned out to be legitimate impact players. After Person's performance on Sunday, teams clearly believe he could have a future at the highest level of football, and the Seahawks do have an open competition set to begin for the third down back role.

That's not to say that Person will for sure be an impact player in Seattle, but if he can work his way onto the roster after impressing in the preseason, he may be a player to watch out for.