Sam Darnold, Seahawks Dealt Bad News on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 23, 2026 4:36 PM ET

Sam Darnold and the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks kept their Super Bowl hopes alive in the divisional round, blowing out Brock Purdy and the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers 41-6. Now, the Seahawks will turn their attention to the NFC championship, where they will remain in Seattle to host Matthew Stafford and the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams.

Darnold has been a dream come true for Seahawks fans, replacing quarterback Geno Smith, who departed for the Las Vegas Raiders. In his first season with the team, Darnold helped Seattle post an NFL-best 14-3 regular-season record before throwing for 124 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers. However, in the NFC championship and beyond, he will be without a key piece.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers.Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Zach Charbonnet was selected by Seattle with the No. 52 pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has become a key piece in the backfield. The former UCLA running back earned a significant role as a rookie and has remained an important part of the offense ever since. In 2025, still sitting behind Kenneth Walker III on the depth chart, Charbonnet posted his best season yet, rushing for 730 yards and five touchdowns.

But in the second quarter of the divisional round against the 49ers, Charbonnet was forced to exit the game early with an apparent knee injury. And after further testing, it was revealed that the running back had suffered a torn ACL.

And on Friday, the Seahawks announced that they had placed Charbonnet on injured reserve, along with guard Bryce Cabeldue (knee), officially ruling him out for the remainder of the playoffs and leaving Darnold without his best pass-blocking running back.

"Running back Zach Charbonnet and guard Bryce Cabeldue were placed on injured reserve to make room on the 53-man roster," Seahawks senior reporter John Boyle wrote.

Two players have been activated from IR.

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