The Seattle Seahawks were justified in taking a first round running back in last spring's NFL Draft -- even if the last one they selected, Rashaad Penny, failed to live up to expectations.
Seattle snagged Notre Dame back Jadarian Price with the final pick of Day 1, adding more firepower to the offense that just won Super Bowl 60. But Price wasn't a luxury addition for a stacked team. He was a necessity.
Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl MVP, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. That left Zach Charbonnet as the team's incumbent RB1 -- but not to start the 2026 regular season.
That's because Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the Seahawks' Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. After having surgery on February 20, he's still
working through rehab in order to get back to full strength.
When can Zach Charbonnet return to the Seahawks' active roster?
Charbonnet was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which means he'll be forced to miss at least the first four games of the season. That means he could play as early as October 11 for a pivotal rivalry matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. There's no exact timetable for his return, however -- though head coach Mike Macdonald sounds optimistic it could be in mid-October.
Zach Charbonnet has an "aggressive" timetable that he's currently on target to make coming back from torn ACL, per Mike Macdonald, though he wouldn't divulge what that timetable looks like.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) September 7, 2026
Coach says he looks "dang good." Has to miss at least four games on PUP list. #Seahawks
Charbonnet has averaged 4.1 yards per carry in his three-year NFL career. His 730 rushing yards in the 2025 regular season were a career high.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: When will Zach Charbonnet return from injury for the Seahawks?
