SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 15: Zach Charbonnet #26 of the Seattle Seahawks takes the field before the NFL preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lumen Field on August 15, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Jack Compton / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks activated running back Zach Charbonnet from the physically unable to perform list as he nears a return to action just over eight months removed from ACL surgery.
Tight end Elijah Arroyo was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported on Thursday that Arroyo is expected to have season-ending surgery.
Charbonnet was a full participant in practice on Wednesday for the first time this season. He had surgery on February 12 after the Super Bowl after being injured in Seattle's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers in January.
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Charbonnet's 21-day practice window concluded on Wednesday with the Seahawks required to put him on the active roster or lose him for the season. While there is certainly a chance Charbonnet makes his 2026 debut on Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, it shouldn't be viewed as a certainty at this point.
"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 on Thursday.
"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."
Even if Charbonnet does play this week, it's likely that he'll be limited in the number of plays he sees. Charbonnet will effectively be 8 ½ months out from surgery when Sunday's game kicks off against the Chiefs. That's an extremely quick timeline to return from such an injury.
Wednesday's full practice was a big step in the process for Charbonnet.
"I think that was just huge from, not even my knee, just from my body in general," Charbonnet said. "Just because I haven't been doing all the... It's different from just doing drills to actually going and integrating a practice and stuff like that. So yeah, I think it was an important milestone to get to and to get more used to and comfortable."
Physically, Charbonnet looks to be in great shape. When asked how he dealt with the difficult moments of his recovery. He bluntly stated, "just more rehab, honestly."
"He looks pretty good," running back George Holani said. "He's always in tip-top shape, and he looks really smooth with his transitions and cuts. So it's pretty exciting to see him get back out there and actually, you know, turn that up and cut it loose."
Without Charbonnet – add now Chiefs running back Ken Walker III – the running game has been a significant disappointment for the Seahawks through the first six games of the season. According to SumerSports, the Seahawks rank 30th in the league in expected points added per rushing attempt at -0.23. Only the Las Vegas Raiders and Green Bay Packers have been less successful on a per-play basis.
Fumbles have also been an issue. Jadarian Price lost a pair of fumbles before going on injured reserve with a chest injury, and Holani, Emanuel Wilson and Rashid Shaheed have each lost a fumble as a runner this season. Walker fumbled three times, but didn't lose a single one, in his four years in Seattle. Meanwhile, Charbonnet hasn't fumbled once in 432 career carries – one of just five players since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 with at least 400 carries and no fumbles.
"He’s a great player," Darnold said of Charbonnet. "What makes him such a great player is his mindset and how he attacks every single day. We saw him throughout his recovery process in the weight room and getting his knee right and doing all the little things that he could do to get better. He attacks a game plan the same way. No surprise that he’s getting ready to go so fast after the ACL."
Added Holani: "He can do it all. You know, he's a physical downhill back, and he can you know get those wide zone going, or he can also see the cutbacks and hit it downhill."
Wilson and Holani likely will remain in the running back rotation as Charbonnet gets eased back in, whether it starts this week against the Chiefs or some other time in the coming weeks.
Injury Updates:
Zach Charbonnet was a full participant in practice for a second straight day.
Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu was a new addition to the injury report with a hip injury as he was limited in practice on Thursday. DeMarcus Lawrence returned to limited participation after getting a day off on Wednesday, but he had a knee injury added to his status report.
Guard Anthony Bradford was a full participant as he works back to full strength from a knee injury that's had him on injured reserve the last month. He appears likely to be activated for this Sunday's game against Kansas City.
Bradford, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (hip), linebacker Tyrice Knight (oblique), and guard Beau Stephens (knee) were all upgraded from limited to full participation.
Linebackers Drake Thomas, Chazz Surratt and Connor O'Toole were all held out again on Tuesday. The Seahawks will likely need at least one linebacker to come up from the practice squad for Sunday's game. Jimmy Ciarlo was elevated last week against Denver, but recently re-signed practice squad linebacker Josh Ross has played for Seattle before and is an option as well.
Injury Report:
The Source: Information in this story comes from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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