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The Seattle Seahawks have been scrutinized all offseason for letting running back and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III leave for another team at the beginning of Free Agency. The Seahawks have their No. 2 back in Zach Charbonnet returning this upcoming season. There is, however, a tough challenge as Charbonnet will miss half of the season or more as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Charbonnet suffered the injury in the first half of the Seahawks’ 41-6 Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. He is going to need time to recover despite lightly working out during Seattle’s minicamps. During that time, the Seahawks will see how rookie running back Jadarian Price will be as the No. 1 back. Once Charbonnet returns fully healthy, he should be a great weapon for the Seahawks.
Why Charbonnet Could Be Ranked Higher?
Chabonnet is coming off a career year with the Seahawks this past season. He rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns on 184 carries in short-yard situations and third downs. The Seahawks’ utilization of him and Walker in a multiple-back formation was the key reason why he left Seattle for another team. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury will continue the multiple back system with a greater focus on zone running.
Charbonnet will take some time to recover for the remainder of the offseason and a few weeks into the season. He will be able to return at a time when Price might need a lighter carrying load. It won’t be for certain that Charbonnet will be the exact 2025 version of himself, but if he is, the Seahawks get a major boost just in time for the long portion of the season.
Why Charbonnet Could Be Ranked Lower?
He would be one of the dependable offensive players heading into the season if he weren’t injured. Instead, there will be some caution about how the Seahawks handle him before and after he returns. The Seahawks must be careful about how aggressively they use him once he returns. He is heading into the final year of his four-year rookie contract, so he will try to make a statement this season.
There were some limitations before his injury in the playoffs. He doesn’t possess the speed and agility that most running backs need to quickly explode through the line of scrimmage or past the second level of the defense. He averaged between 4.0 and 4.3 yards per run in all three years based on his power and athleticism. Price is the more complete running back, which makes him the candidate as the franchise’s No. 1 running back over Charbonnet.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/seahawks/onsi as Top 25 Seattle Seahawks Going into 2026 NFL Season: #15 Zach Charbonnet.
