Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is just five months faraway from tearing his ACL in a January playoff win over the 49ers, but he just isn’t a lock to miss time in 2026. Head coach Mike Macdonald isn’t closing the door on Charbonnet suiting up in Week 1 (via Mike Florio of PFT).
“Every thing’s possible, yeah,” Macdonald said when asked if Charbonnet could possibly be ready for the beginning of the season.
The Seahawks will open 2026 with a Super Bowl LX rematch against the Patriots on Sept. 9, just below eight months after Charbonnet’s injury. It will be a super end result for Charbonnet to be ready by then, though it seems improbable for somebody who didn’t undergo surgery until Feb. 20.
It might be more realistic to expect Charbonnet to return sometime in October or November, in line with Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. If that’s the case, Charbonnet could begin the 12 months on the reserve/PUP list, which might require at the very least a four-game absence.
Charbonnet, whom the Seahawks selected within the second round within the 2023 draft, spent his first three seasons splitting snaps with Kenneth Walker. While Walker got more touches during that span, Charbonnet still piled up 427 carries and 95 catches. He set profession highs in rushing attempts (184), yards (730) and touchdowns (12) over 16 regular-season games last 12 months, though his injury limited him to 5 carries and 20 yards within the playoffs. Meanwhile, Walker capped off the Seahawks’ run to a championship with a Super Bowl-MVP winning performance in a 29-13 victory over the Pats. A month later, he left Seattle to sign a three-year, $43.05MM take care of Kansas City in free agency.
With Charbonnet recovering from a serious injury and Walker out of the image, the Seahawks spent their first-round pick (No. 32) on former Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price. He and Charbonnet could possibly be the Seahawks’ one-two punch every time the latter returns. Within the meantime, George Holani and Price were “principally 1 and 1A” during mandatory minicamp this week, Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune relays. Free agent addition Emanuel Wilson was third within the pecking order.
Kenny McIntosh can be within the fold, but he continues to be on the mend from the ACL tear he suffered last July. Macdonald indicated McIntosh could begin training camp on the lively/PUP list, per Bell.