The Seattle Seahawks have made a consequential decision on running back Zach Charbonnet less than two weeks before their season opener.
Seattle moved Charbonnet to the reserve/physically unable to perform list as part of its final roster moves on Sunday, August 30, meaning the fourth-year running back must miss at least the first four games of the 2026 regular season while continuing his recovery from a torn ACL.
That makes the latest Zach Charbonnet injury news significantly different from his initial PUP designation at the start of training camp. Charbonnet could have been activated at any point while on active/PUP during camp. By carrying him onto reserve/PUP at the roster deadline, the Seahawks have now locked in an early-season absence.
It also puts Seattle’s rebuilt backfield firmly in the hands of first-round rookie Jadarian Price, George Holani and free-agent addition Emanuel Wilson for the opening stretch of the season. Those are the three running backs on Seattle’s initial 53-man roster.
Zach Charbonnet Must Miss Seahawks’ First 4 Games
Charbonnet will be unavailable against the New England Patriots on September 9, at the Arizona Cardinals on September 20, at the Washington Commanders on September 27 and against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 4.
The earliest game in which Charbonnet could potentially return is Seattle’s Week 5 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on October 11, though being eligible to return and actually being medically ready are two different things. The Seahawks have not announced that Week 5 is a target date.
That distinction matters given the severity and timing of Charbonnet’s 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.
Head coach Mike Macdonald had left open the possibility of an aggressive recovery earlier in the offseason. Asked in June about Charbonnet potentially returning for Week 1, Macdonald said, “Everything’s possible,” while praising the running back’s work in rehabilitation.
The Seahawks’ latest transaction removes that possibility.
Charbonnet is now guaranteed more recovery time after a 2025 regular season in which he produced career highs across the board. According to the Seahawks, he rushed 184 times for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming Seattle’s first player since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to record double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season.
Seahawks’ 53-Man Roster Depth Chart Takes Shape Without Charbonnet
Charbonnet’s absence carries additional weight because Seattle already lost its other established lead back during the offseason.
Kenneth Walker III departed in free agency for the Kansas City Chiefs after leading Seattle with 1,027 rushing yards last season. With Walker gone and Charbonnet recovering from ACL surgery, the Seahawks used the No. 32 overall pick in April on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price.
Seattle’s initial 53-man roster now contains three healthy running backs: Price, Wilson and Holani.
The team has not declared an opening-day starter, but Price’s opportunity is impossible to ignore.
Seattle invested a first-round pick in the 22-year-old after he averaged 6.0 yards per carry during his final season at Notre Dame, finishing with 674 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 113 attempts. He also showed big-play ability as both a receiver and kickoff returner.
Price received work with the No. 1 offense alongside Holani during the offseason program, and Macdonald praised the variety he showed as a receiver during training camp.
Wilson gives Seattle another experienced option, while Holani has remained in the mix for significant snaps throughout the offseason.
The larger issue is that Seattle cannot simply fall back on the Walker-Charbonnet combination that powered its backfield last season. Walker is gone, and Charbonnet’s reserve/PUP designation establishes that the Seahawks will have to navigate at least the first month without either member of that tandem.
That puts immediate pressure on Price and the rest of Seattle’s new-look running back room.
And while Week 5 is now the first possible return point for Charbonnet, his actual timeline will ultimately be dictated by his recovery rather than the calendar. For the first four games, at least, there is no longer any uncertainty: the Seahawks know they will have to move forward without him.
Seattle Seahawks Announce Zach Charbonnet Injury News