Zach

Charbonnet

Destin reasonably wonders, “how much can Seattle feature Price as a pass catcher if he’s not trusted to block on third down?” He also thinks RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) will replace Holani whenever Charbonnet returns. Destin adds that “Price was not drafted as a direct replacement for Walker,” though he expects Price to handle a similar role. Losing high-value touches to Holani and Charbonnet could keep Price stuck in the RB3/FLEX tier, though, in a sense, he controls his own destiny and could force the coaching staff to increase his red zone usage with high-quality play.

Though Price did not play a single preseason snap and has missed time over the past few weeks with muscle soreness, he is widely expected to function as Seattle’s lead back in Week 1 against the Patriots, with Zach Charbonnet (knee) on the PUP list to begin the regular season. Holani, however, should see significant usage in the Seahawks backfield. His “receiving and pass-blocking skills seem perfectly suited for third-down work,” Henderson said. Emanuel Wilson, Henderson added, will be the “power complement to those two” if he’s fully recovered from an undisclosed injury. “Whatever plan Seattle has going into Week 1 will start to change once Charbonnet returns,” Henderson said. “Whenever Charbonnet is all the way back, it’s easy to envision the Seahawks splitting the work in their backfield fairly evenly between him and Price the way they did last season with Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III.” Sam Darnold has called Price a “special player” who excels as a pass catcher. For now it appears he’ll be an early-down option for Seattle’s offense.

After months of Seahawks front office officials and coaches saying Charbonnet could be active for Week 1 against the Patriots, he’ll miss at least the first four games of the regular season as he recovers from his 2025 ACL tear. That leaves rookie RB Jadarian Price as the likely lead back to start the season, with George Holani perhaps functioning as the backfield’s pass-catching option and potential goal line back. Price, who missed time with lower body injuries in August, should be a full go for Week 1. He should be treated as a flex option to start the year.

Breer continues that the Seahawks are “going to be smart with him.” We’d be floored by a Week 1 return given Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL just last January, but the Seahawks haven’t really put out a real timetable on his status. Seahawks coach Mike McDaniel said in June that “everything’s possible” when asked about Charbonnet playing in Week 1, but didn’t elaborate much on the odds. It does sound like even if Charbonnet is placed on the reserve/PUP list at the end of camp, he’d have a real shot to play in October.

Charbonnet is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in the Divisional Round last year. He can be activated from the PUP list at any time, though the most likely outcome is that he misses all of camp and is then moved to the reserve/PUP list. That would require him to miss at least the first four games of the season. With Kenneth Walker gone, the Seahawks will rely on first-round rookie Jadarian Price to start the year. George Holani and Emmanuel Wilson could also mix in for some touches, with Holani likely operating as the primary option on passing downs.

It has been tough for some to accept that the former undrafted free agent will have a role this season, but reports continue to indicate that Seahawks coaches trust him. Henderson notes that Holani performed well as a fill-in for RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) as a passing game player during the playoffs. Charbonnet has received positive rehab reports, and a Week 1 return is considered possible. In that scenario, Holani could still rotate in as a backup. If Charbonnet is sidelined to begin the year, Holani should handle the passing down role. Whether that usage facilitates a FLEX-worthy workload remains to be seen.

Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in Seattle’s first playoff game during their Super Bowl run. He has done some light work at minicamp and MacDonald hinted that he’s ahead of schedule. It would still be surprising to see Charbonnet on the field for Week 1, but it’s at least a good sign that MacDonald is leaving the door open. If he isn’t ready for the start of the season, George Holani would be in line to back up first-round rookie Jadarian Price. Holani would likely see the bulk of his snaps on passing downs, giving him some RB3 potential in PPR leagues.

Charbonnet went through a high-knees exercise before checking in with a trainer. There isn’t a whole lot to be drawn from this, but we suppose seeing Charbonnet go through rehab drills four months post-op is a positive of sorts. Questions remain as to when Charbonnet will be able to retake the field after undergoing ACL reconstruction this offseason, but he is expected to play at some point this year.

Washington, after excelling at the NFL Combine, has been linked to a few teams, including the Broncos. Bowen said Washington, who went for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns at Arkansas in 2025, would be a solid fit for Seattle’s offense. “Under new coordinator Brian Fleury — who coached with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco — we should expect a run game that leans on motion and movement in both zone and gap concepts,” Bowen said, adding that Washington would likely be a Day Two pick. “Washington has the lateral agility to fit in that scheme, and he can dart through daylight with his 4.33 speed. His frame can handle NFL volume, plus he can produce on swings and screens as a pass catcher.” The Seahawks backfield is in flux after Ken Walker left for Kansas City in free agency and Zach Charbonnet continues to recover from a late-season knee injury. The Seahawks signed former Packers RB Emanuel Wilson in free agency. Washington would make sense for Seattle if the team looks to bolster its backfield in the second or third round.

Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the Seahawks’ divisional round win over the 49ers last postseason, and didn’t have surgery to repair the injury until February. While there were concerns that Charbonnet may miss all of 2026 due to the timing of his injury and the surgery Macdonald confirmed that he expects to have the fourth-year RB back at some point this season. In the meantime, the loss of Kenneth Walker, combined with Charbonnet’s injury, puts the Seahawks in a unique position at RB to start the year. The team did go out and add Emanuel Wilson via free agency earlier this month, but the Seahawks could be in play for a Day 2 rookie at the position to pair with Wilson, George Holani, and a slew of other backups until Charbonnet is able to return. Charbonnet rushed for a career-high 730 yards and 12 touchdowns last season with the Seahawks and will presumably serve as their RB1 once healthy, but he’s a near lock to open the season on the PUP list, and could miss extensive time to start the year.