The Seattle Seahawks need any sort of running back help they can get, as they fittingly face the Kansas City Chiefs and former Seahawks star, Super Bowl 60 MVP, and current NFL rushing leader Kenneth Walker III on Sunday night. While Jadarian Price is not an option until Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, Zach Charbonnet seems on course to make his season debut this weekend.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on Monday that Charbonnet could play, pending how this week’s practice goes.
“Zach is going to have a full week’s worth of reps, so that’s exciting,” Macdonald said. “There is a possibility that you can see him on Sunday in some capacity.”
Charbonnet has to be activated off injured reserve and onto the 53-man roster this week, otherwise he reverts to IR for the rest of the season. Even when he’s activated, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play Week 7, but Macdonald’s quotes sound encouraging. In the meantime, he’s practiced in a limited capacity throughout his 21-day window, but it sounds like “full week’s worth of reps” could mean a full participant designation in the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday practices.
The fourth-year man out of UCLA was Seattle’s leader in total touchdowns last season with 12, to go along with his career-best 730 yards on the ground. With Emanuel Wilson and George Holani having ball security and efficiency struggles, Charbonnet’s impending return from a January ACL tear is about as welcome and desperately need outcome as the Super Bowl champions can get.
“I know he’s had a certain date in mind, which is a really ambitious date,” Macdonald said. “For those who have tried to come back from significant knee surgery understand the undertaking that takes. Zach’s a beast. He looks great. It’s not easy to say, ‘Alright, let’s go.’ For him to have that courage to say that and work through the things that he’s worked through, you can’t do anything but tip your cap to him.”
Charbonnet’s practice status on Wednesday should give us a solid indicator as far as whether or not he’ll be able to help out an otherwise struggling Seahawks offense on Sunday.
