The Seattle Seahawks have taken the next major step toward getting their most proven running back into the lineup.
Seattle designated Zach Charbonnet to return to practice Thursday, opening the 21-day window in which he can work with the team without occupying a spot on the 53-man roster.
The Seahawks must activate him by the end of that period or keep him on the physically unable to perform list for the rest of the season, according to the team’s official announcement.
Charbonnet remains ineligible for Sunday’s Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. His earliest possible return would come in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, the same opponent he faced when he tore his ACL in Seattle’s divisional-round victory Jan. 17.
Charbonnet’s Progress Arrives at Opportune Time
The timing makes Thursday’s development valuable for the Seahawks. Their revamped backfield hasn’t produced a clear-cut successor after Kenneth Walker III left for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
Seattle rushed for 162 yards on 40 attempts in its Week 2 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, finishing the day with a 16-play drive that drained 10:14 from the clock. One week later, that production plummeted to 44 yards on 18 carries in a 33-31 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Rookie Jadarian Price also lost a fumble for the second consecutive week, leading Seattle to sit him for nearly 28 minutes of game time before giving him another carry. Emanuel Wilson and George Holani combined for 24 yards on 12 attempts as the Seahawks struggled to establish any rhythm.
Coach Mike Macdonald resisted any sweeping conclusions after the loss.
“You don’t hit the panic button, you just go back to work to try to find more solutions, keep trying to solve problems and go try to make it better,” Macdonald said Wednesday, via Seahawks.com.
Charbonnet’s return alone won’t repair every problem with the ground game, but his combination of power and patience would boost the offense within its most iffy position group. His ability to finish runs could become particularly helpful around the goal line, where Seattle has leaned on a committee during his absence.
Seahawks Can Afford to Remain Patient With Charbonnet
Opening the practice window doesn’t mean Charbonnet will reclaim a featured role. He has rehabilitated an ACL tear for eight months and hasn’t participated in a full team practice since January.
Macdonald said Wednesday that Seattle had to weigh Charbonnet’s required ramp-up period, roster availability and the limited practice time surrounding its Week 6 Thursday night game against the Denver Broncos.
The Seahawks now have three weeks to evaluate his response before making a final roster decision.
That runway is critical for a player whose workload steadily climbed over his first three seasons.
Charbonnet set career highs with 184 carries, 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. He became Seattle’s first player to reach double-digit rushing scores in a season since Marshawn Lynch accomplished the feat in 2014.
The 25-year-old has rushed for 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns across 49 regular-season games since Seattle selected him No. 52 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. He has also caught 95 passes for 693 yards, providing the versatility to remain involved on passing downs, per his official team biography.
All in all, Seattle has no reason to rush the final stretch of his recovery.
Seahawks Make Major Zach Charbonnet Move Amid Backfield Concerns