Zach Charbonnet to make season debut for Seattle Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet will make his season debut on Monday night against the Chicago Bears, less than nine months removed from ACL surgery.

First-round pick Jadarian Price also has a chance to play – though a roster move is still required – as Seattle's running back room is nearing full strength for the first time all year.

"We have a plan for Zach," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "And with JD (Jadarian). I think if we were to make a move, I think that would happen on on Monday.

"(Charbonnet)'s a three-down back. He catches the ball out of the backfield. He can run a pretty significant route tree out of the backfield. He can run all the different types of runs and all the different types of situations, and then his pass protection has been excellent since he's been here.

Left tackle Charles Cross (ankle) and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee) were ruled out, and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (ankle) is questionable to play as Seattle is carrying some injuries into Monday night's contest. Running back Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring) was also ruled out, and quarterback Drew Lock (right elbow), guard Anthony Bradford (knee), linebacker Patrick O'Connell (toe) and defensive tackle Brandon Pili (back).

Linebacker Drake Thomas also returns to the starting lineup after a two-week absence due to an ankle injury.

Dig deeper:

Charbonnet had surgery on February 12 after the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots four days prior. He was designated to return to practice on October 1 from the physically unable to perform list, and was officially activated on the 21st, though he did not play last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Zach's a guy that kind of works in the shadows," Macdonald said. "He's already had our respect, but just hopefully people understand the kind of stud this guy is to come back on this timetable and be ready to go."

Charbonnet was a full participant in practice all week leading up to the Chiefs game, but was still held out. The Seahawks eased off his workload on Friday, giving him a limited day of work before returning to full participation on Saturday ahead of his clearance to play.

"Whenever I'm out there, it's going to be special. I'm just going to be happy to get back out there," Charbonnet said last week.

"Just the team I've had around me, and all the rehab and work I put in, and also all the effort and the other people are putting in me too. That's really allowed me to dial in on my plan and to get it rolling."

Price doesn't have an injury designation, which means he's healthy enough to play in the game. Theoretically, the Seahawks don't have to activate him as it's his first week back at practice after four weeks down on injured reserve, but it would seem unlikely the team wouldn't utilize their first-round pick if he's cleared to play. That decision requires a roster move, which could be waiving running back Robert Henry Jr. or placing Jones on injured reserve on Monday. Seattle won't need five running backs on their roster with Charbonnet and Price joining Emanuel Wilson and George Holani on the active roster.

Cross, Shaheed, Jones and Nwosu all did not practice at any point during the week. The Seahawks will need to elevate one of their two practice squad tackles – Bobby Hart or Logan Brown – to serve as a backup tackle with Cross out. A wide receiver such as Montorie Foster Jr. or Ricky White III could also be elevated for kick return depth with Shaheed out.

Lock remains limited in practice with a right elbow injury that's bothered him the last few weeks. Jalen Milroe was active as the backup quarterback to Sam Darnold in place of Lock last week because of the injury.

Pili missed the last two days of practice with a back injury, as did O'Connell with a toe issue. Bradford – now in a backup role following the acquisition of Quenton Nelson – did not practice on Friday, but was limited on Saturday.

Quenton Nelson ready to make Seahawks debut

After three days of practice with his new team, left guard Quenton Nelson will make his debut with the Seahawks on Monday night.

"On brand of how you expect him to go," Macdonald said of Nelson. "It’s great to see him in Seahawk gear. I’m excited to see our guys play. They’ve done a great job this week with the changes, and the focus is on being able to stack off of last week and the rest of the year. We’ll have to figure out some solutions as the game goes on. Going against a good team, that’s par for the course, and we’ll go from there."

Nelson jumps into the left guard spot as Grey Zabel moves across to the right side. And with Josh Jones playing at left tackle in place of Cross, the Seahawks have three new pieces effectively on their offensive line this week as compared to Sunday night against the Chiefs.

"The biggest challenges are going to be communication and just the difference in terminology," offensive coordinator Brian Fleury said. "As much preparation as Quenton's going to do here in the next few days, I'm sure he'll be ready. 

"Obviously, he's been playing at a very high level for a long time. Anytime you can get that caliber player into the offense, it's exciting. There are ripple effects that go along the way. You’ve got players switching positions and players who aren't going to be playing as much. While there is an extreme high there, there are some things to be discussed."

Injury Report:

MORE SEAHAWKS NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

'Disappointed' Anthony Bradford handling Seattle Seahawks demotion

Seattle Seahawks' Jadarian Price returns to practice

Quenton Nelson excited for new chapter with Seattle Seahawks

Monday Night Football: How to watch Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears

Seahawks land All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in trade with Colts

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.