During the Seattle Seahawks‘ Super Bowl run, they enjoyed a breakout of sorts from one of the most dynamic backfield weapons in the league: RB Kenneth Walker III. The former Michigan State Spartan won Super Bowl MVP and racked up 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns to go with nine receptions for 104 yards in just three games, playing an integral role on the best team in the NFL.
But the other half of the Seahawks’ backfield duo couldn’t cross the finish line of the season. Third-year RB Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in Seattle’s divisional round game against the 49ers on January 17, ending his year. He’s on the long road to recover from such a serious knee injury.
During the 2025 regular season, Charbonnet totaled 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns with 20 receptions for 144 yards. He set new career highs in total rushes, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.
Seattle Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet Shares Injury Update After Torn ACL
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 18: Zach Charbonnet #26 of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball during overtime against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on December 18, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
On Friday, Charbonnet shared an update on his recovery to social media. Posting to Instagram, he shared a photo of himself in the hospital post-surgery, having just undergone an ACL repair that appears to have gone well.
As Seahawks reporter Corbin K. Smith noted on Twitter/X, it’s not uncommon for surgeries like these to be delayed several weeks after the injury is sustained. Surgeons often want to wait until the swelling goes down so they can better assess the full scope of the injury and make sure they take the proper approach.
However, getting the surgery near the end of February instead of the end of January does complicate Charbonnet’s return timeline a bit. Generally, ACL recoveries take about nine months, though it can be longer depending on a variety of factors, including how clean the tear was. That pushes the early end of Charbonnet’s return window to the end of October or even into November.
Even with the rosiest possible return timeline of eight months — which some NFL players, including some Seahawks players, have accomplished in recent years — still puts Charbonet’s return at around the beginning of October. It’s extremely unlikely that he’ll be ready for the start of the season and he may not even be fully recovered and cleared to return until the stretch run. The Seahawks will need to add some insurance at the running back position to account for this.
Could RB Zach Charbonnet’s Injury Affect the Seattle Seahawks’ Plans with RB Kenneth Walker III?
Walker is set to be a free agent following the expiration of his four-year rookie contract. He’s set to be the top running back on the market, alongside Jets RB Breece Hall. He could be in line for a contract that makes him one of the highest-paid running backs in the league.
The Seahawks will have to decide how they want to approach his contract, but it’s unlikely they’ll let Walker out of the building. If Charbonnet was healthy, maybe Seattle feels comfortable rocking with him as their lead back. But given he’s set to miss half the season or maybe even more, the Seahawks will, in all likelihood, try their best to keep Walker around.
Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet Shares Injury Update on Social Media