Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet nears return from torn ACL
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet was ruled out for Week 6 but has a "legitimate chance" to debut in Week 7.
Seattle must activate him by Oct 22 or he sits out the rest of the season.
Background
Zach Charbonnet is a Seattle Seahawks running back who ran for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns on 184 carries in the 2025 regular season. He tore the ACL in his left knee on his fifth carry of the Seahawks' 41-6 playoff win over the San Francisco 49ers in January 2025, had surgery in February 2026, and has been on the reserve/physically unable to perform list (PUP, a list for players not yet cleared to practice or play) all season. Seattle opened his 21-day practice window on Oct 1, and the team now faces a deadline to activate him to the active roster.
How it unfolded
- Jan 17, 2025Charbonnet tore the ACL in his left knee on his fifth carry during the Seahawks' 41-6 playoff win over the San Francisco 49ers.
- Feb 20, 2026Charbonnet underwent surgery on the torn ACL.
- Oct 1, 2026The Seahawks opened Charbonnet's 21-day practice window to return from the reserve/PUP list.
- Oct 14, 2026Charbonnet was ruled out for Thursday's game at Denver; ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported he has a "legitimate chance" to make his season debut in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Oct 19, 2026Head coach Mike Macdonald said Charbonnet will have a full week's worth of reps and there is "a possibility" he could play Sunday in some capacity.
- Oct 22, 2026Deadline for the Seahawks to activate Charbonnet to the active roster, or by rule he must miss the rest of the season.
- Oct 25, 2026Seahawks' Week 7 game against Kansas City, the possible target for Charbonnet's 2026 debut.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Head coach Mike Macdonald said Charbonnet will get a full week's worth of reps and that "there's a possibility you could see him on Sunday in some capacity."
- Analysts
- ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported, citing multiple sources, that Charbonnet has a "legitimate chance" to make his season debut in Week 7 against Kansas City.
Still unverified
Charbonnet has not officially been cleared to play against Kansas City on Sunday, Oct 25, and being activated would not guarantee he plays in Week 7.