Mike Macdonald Offers Encouraging Update on Zach Charbonnet

Neville E&period; Guard-Imagn Images

Mike Macdonald Offers Encouraging Update on Zach Charbonnet

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Bryce Lazenby | Last updated Sep 7, 2026 11:40 PM ET

Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks are busy preparing for their Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots on Wednesday.

This is a big matchup for the Seahawks. The team has a chance to knock off the Patriots again and prove that they are built to repeat as champions. However, even though no games have been played in months, the Seahawks aren’t entering this one perfectly healthy.

The safety room, in particular, is banged up. Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada might not be able to play, and the running room has been banged up all summer. Zach Charbonnet is a key piece of the offense, and he’s beginning the season on the PUP list after tearing his ACL in the playoffs.

We know Charbonnet has to miss the first four games, but Macdonald offered a positive update on Monday.

Charbonnet Might Not Miss More Than 4 Games

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) breaks a tackle attempt by Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) to rush for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field.© Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Without Charbonnet, the Seahawks’ running back room is thin. Rookie Jadarian Price is set to be the workhorse, with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani as his backups.

There’s no guarantee the rookie can handle a large role immediately, though, and Charbonnet contributes to the passing attack as well. So, the sooner Charbonnet gets back, the better, and there’s real hope he’ll be ready for the fifth game of the season.

“Zach’s doing awesome,” Macdonald said in a Monday presser. “He has a certain timetable that he’s targeting and he’s on target for that timetable, which is great. It’s an aggressive timetable from if you just kind of put the whole thing into perspective. I think that shows what type of guy he is, just being able to come back and work through that process and get over those hurdles that it takes to put himself in this position.”

Macdonald mentioning that Charbonnet is “on target” for the timetable is certainly encouraging. That definitely means Charbonnet hasn’t suffered any setbacks, which is always a concern with knee injuries.

“But, I mean, he looks awesome. He looks awesome whenever I see him doing anything. He looks pretty dang good,” Macdonald added.

Charbonnet is coming off a career season in 2025, when he rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns. The running back also caught 20 passes for 144 yards, showing his ability to help out in both phases.

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

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