Mike Macdonald Offers Encouraging Injury Update On Zach Charbonnet

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Bryce Lazenby | Last updated Sep 19, 2026 2:19 PM ET

It’s only Week 2 of the NFL season, but injuries have already been a major theme for the Seattle Seahawks.

Star quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a glute injury at the start of Week 1, and he’s expected to miss a few weeks. It’s always tough to play without your quarterback, but the team still won in Week 1.

Unfortunately, that’s not the only injury concern for the Seahawks. Starting defensive backs Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada both missed Week 1, and key running back Zach Charbonnet is still on the PUP list.

Charbonnet suffered a knee injury in the playoffs. The running back has been a key change-of-pace back for the Seahawks, so it would be nice to get him back in the mix.

Players on the PUP have to miss at least the first four games, but head coach Mike Macdonald just provided an encouraging update.

Macdonald Says Charbonnet Should Practice Soon

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen looks to tackle Seattle Seahawks running back Zach CharbonnetBarry Reeger-Imagn Images

On Friday, Macdonald was asked about Charbonnet’s status. The coach wasn’t super specific, but he did seem optimistic that Charbonnet is on schedule.

“Zach’s doing great. We’re getting down to possibly finding a date where he could start practicing again. So that’s coming—it’s coming soon. When that exact date is, we haven’t finalized that yet, but it’s coming soon,” Macdonald explained.

Zach Charbonnet is nearing a return to practice, with an exact date still unfinalized.

Mike Macdonald: “Zach’s doing great. We’re getting down to possibly finding a date where he could start practicing again. So that’s coming—it’s coming soon. When that exact date is, we haven’t… pic.twitter.com/aFbmcyDmAs
— MicNuggets (@micnuggetsnfl) September 18, 2026

The fact that the team is already thinking about when Charbonnet can start practicing is definitely a good sign. With knee injuries, you always have to worry about aggravations or tweaks, so it won’t be surprising if the team is cautious.

Charbonnet can’t play until Week 5 at the earliest, but NFL rules allow players on the PUP to open their 21-day practice window during the final two weeks of their mandated PUP term. This means that Charbonnet could technically begin practicing next week if he’s up to it.

The Seahawks could definitely use Charbonnet. In Week 1, the team split carries between Jadarian Price and George Holani, but Charbonnet would clearly be an upgrade over Holani. Charbonnet offers more receiving upside and has plenty of big-game experience with the Seahawks.

If everything goes well, the Seahawks could get both Charbonnet and Darnold back for the Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. That would be huge because that matchup could end up having playoff implications.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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