Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet could be cleared to return to practice as early as Thursday, head coach Mike Macdonald said in his press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Charbonnet was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list ahead of training camp this summer after he underwent reconstructive knee surgery in February. He tore his ACL during the team’s Divisional Round playoff matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, but was having an excellent year prior. He kept eventual Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III fresh, but also spelled him entirely for certain games. His skillset was different and complementary. Less than a year ago, Charbonnet looked like the better fit of the two in Klint Kubiak’s offense.
Charbonnet has
inside-focused vision, while Walker bounces outside more often. He stays right behind his offensive linemen and plays it safe. While the latter took massive strides down the stretch and during his historic playoff run, the former was the more consistent overall. Charbonnet was the dependable back at getting 4 yards on an inside zone play. Walker was always looking to make magic.
Through three weeks, Seattle’s backfield has struggled to replace the duo’s floor and ceiling. The lone returner, George Holani, is a perfect third-stringer; he prioritizes pass protection and is capable as a runner or receiver in a pinch. He’s not a No. 1, though. First-round rookie Jadarian Price was brought in to fill those shoes. He’s been efficient and shown potential, but costly fumbles each of the past two weeks are keeping him from taking a bigger workload. That was one weakness neither Walker nor Charbonnet showed. Emanuel Wilson has the body mass to handle dozens of carries as a backup, but his vision has struggled to fit in the offense, especially in goal-line situations. Mookie Alexander and Mike Dugar zoomed in on these two plays on Tuesday to highlight the clear mismatch between Wilson’s between-the-tackles skillset and Walker-like outside vision that aren’t getting the most out of each other.
Wilson needs to be as north-south as often as possible. The minute he tries to go laterally to make someone miss is a problem.
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) September 30, 2026
I think every other RB on the roster scores in that second clip, including Charbonnet right now and he's not even healthy enough to practice yet. https://t.co/xM84V8OhZI
The Seahawks will be cautious while easing Charbonnet back, but he’ll have a 21-day practice window to return to the roster from the PUP list once he takes the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC)’s fields again. When he does, the running back room may be wide open for him to step in and lead. Check out what Seahawks Wire’s own Justin Melo said about the situation here.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet could return to practice Thursday
