The Seattle Seahawks may have to wait beyond Thursday for the backfield reinforcement they badly need.
Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated after Sunday’s 32-29 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that running back Zach Charbonnet is not expected to return for Thursday night’s road matchup with the Denver Broncos.
Corbin K. Smith reported on X that Macdonald said the current plan is for Charbonnet not to play against Denver. Seattle’s official team site confirmed the update, with Macdonald leaving only a small opening for the plan to change.
The misfortune in the RB room makes the development sting even more. Seattle committed four turnovers against San Francisco, and two came from running backs Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. The 49ers converted the Seahawks’ mistakes into 21 points in a three-point game.
Macdonald Pumps Brakes on Charbonnet Return
Charbonnet has been working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in Seattle’s divisional-round win over San Francisco in January. The Seahawks placed him on the physically unable to perform list to begin the season before designating him to return to practice on Oct. 1.
That move opened a 21-day practice window for Seattle to activate Charbonnet to the 53-man roster. Macdonald had already pointed to the short Denver week as a complication because the Seahawks would have fewer full-speed practice opportunities.
Following Sunday’s loss, Macdonald made the outlook clearer.
“That could change, but as of right now, he’s not going to play,” Macdonald said, per Seahawks.com.
The short turnaround gives Seattle only four days between the loss to the 49ers and its Week 6 trip to Denver. Charbonnet has practiced for two weeks, but the Seahawks have continued to take a cautious approach with a player returning from major knee surgery.
If he remains sidelined, Seattle is expected to lean again on Wilson, Holani and Velus Jones Jr.. Newcomer Robert Henry Jr. could also be an option after being inactive against San Francisco.
Seahawks Need Charbonnet After Costly 49ers Fumbles
Sunday showed why Charbonnet’s return has become so important.
Wilson was stripped by Fred Warner deep in Seattle territory in the second quarter, setting up an 11-yard Christian McCaffrey touchdown on the next snap. Later, Holani fumbled at his own goal line with 13 seconds left in the half, allowing 49ers defensive lineman Gracen Halton to recover in the end zone.
Holani actually fumbled twice in the first half, though the Seahawks recovered the first one. Wilson finished with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, but his lost fumble helped turn a promising afternoon into another turnover-heavy loss
Charbonnet would bring a different track record. Via NFL.com, he rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns on 184 carries last season and did not fumble once. Across his first three NFL seasons, he has 1,761 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns and zero recorded fumbles.
That ball security stands out after what happened Sunday, when Seattle’s available backs put the ball on the ground three times between them.
The Seahawks can’t rush Charbonnet back simply because the current backfield struggled, especially coming off an ACL tear.
But due to another costly day from the available runners, the plan to keep him out Thursday leaves Seattle with the same group for a potentially grinding road game in Denver.
Seahawks Drop Unfortunate Zach Charbonnet News