Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald isn’t ready to reveal when Zach Charbonnet expects to return from his torn ACL.
But Macdonald just provided his most encouraging clue yet.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Seattle’s Week 1 matchup with the New England Patriots, Macdonald said Charbonnet has established a specific target for his return and is currently on schedule to hit it.
“Zach’s doing awesome, doing awesome,” Macdonald said. “I think he has a certain timetable in his mind that — which we won’t divulge right now — but he has a certain timetable that he’s targeting, and he’s on target for that timetable, which is great.”
Then Macdonald offered perhaps the most significant part of the update.
“It’s an aggressive timetable,” he said.
That doesn’t mean Charbonnet is headed back to the Seahawks’ lineup imminently. Seattle placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list while setting its initial 53-man roster, guaranteeing that he will miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
But after months of uncertainty surrounding Charbonnet’s recovery, Macdonald’s comments provide a considerably more optimistic indication of where the fourth-year running back stands.
Zach Charbonnet Has a First Possible Return Date
The Seahawks’ decision to keep Charbonnet on reserve/PUP means he will be unavailable against the Patriots on September 9, Arizona Cardinals on September 20, Washington Commanders on September 27 and Los Angeles Chargers on October 4.
That makes Seattle’s Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on October 11 the first game for which Charbonnet could potentially be available.
There is an important distinction, however: Macdonald did not say October 11 is Charbonnet’s target.
In fact, he specifically declined to disclose the timetable Charbonnet has in mind.
That leaves open the question of exactly what Macdonald considers “aggressive,” but his confirmation that Charbonnet is hitting his internal benchmarks is notable considering the injury.
Charbonnet tore the ACL in his left knee during Seattle’s January 17 divisional-round victory over San Francisco and underwent surgery on February 20.
The Seahawks placed him on PUP before the start of training camp, and Macdonald had consistently praised Charbonnet’s rehabilitation without committing to a return date.
His newest comments go further.
Not only does Charbonnet apparently have a target, Macdonald believes the running back remains on schedule to reach it.
“I mean, he looks awesome,” Macdonald said. “He looks awesome going through whenever I see him doing anything. He looks pretty dang good.”
Seahawks Have Plenty at Stake With Charbonnet’s Recovery
Seattle has more reason than most teams to pay close attention to the progress of a running back who cannot play during the opening month.
The Seahawks’ backfield looks significantly different from the one that helped them win Super Bowl LX.
Kenneth Walker III left Seattle for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency after rushing for 1,027 yards last season. Charbonnet, meanwhile, is coming off the most productive season of his career.
He rushed 184 times for 730 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns in 2025. According to the Seahawks, Charbonnet became the franchise’s first player since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to record double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season.
With Walker gone and Charbonnet sidelined, Seattle will open the season relying on George Holani, first-round rookie Jadarian Price and offseason addition Emanuel Wilson at running back.
The Seahawks listed Holani atop the position on their first unofficial depth chart, but how the carries will actually be divided remains one of the unanswered questions surrounding Seattle’s offense entering Week 1.
Charbonnet’s eventual return could change that equation considerably.
His physical running style and proven ability around the goal line would give Seattle an established option in a group that otherwise enters the season without a player who has handled a lead role for the Seahawks.
For now, the reigning Super Bowl champions know they won’t have him against New England.
What they apparently do have is a target date behind closed doors — and according to Macdonald, Charbonnet is doing everything necessary to stay on schedule for it.
Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald Drops Hint on Zach Charbonnet Return Timeline