The Seahawks were dealt a blow ahead of the NFC championship game against the Rams.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald on Monday said that running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending knee injury during Seattle’s 41-6 dismantling of the 49ers in the divisional round on Saturday.
“The bummer is Charbs,” Macdonald said. “He's got a significant knee injury unfortunately. Breaks your heart. He's going to need surgery. He's going to have a long road back.”
Charbonnet missed the remainder of the second half of Saturday’s game with a knee injury, finishing the contest with five carries for 20 yards on the ground. Macdonald had expressed optimism that Charbonnet’s knee may have been “okay structurally.” But in the worst case scenario, Charbonnet tore his ACL, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Charbonnet enjoyed a breakout season in his third year in the league in 2025, posting career highs in carries (184), rushing yards (730) and rushing touchdowns (12).
“Our heart goes out to him,” Macdonald continued. “So prayers goes out to Charbs. And we love him. This guy is the epitome of what it means to be a Seahawk. Absolute tough as nails. Great teammate. Great human being. Plays his tail off. Detail-oriented. Unselfish. And this hurts, man.
“It hurts that it’s going on. But he’s going to be back, he’s going to be back stronger than ever. Guys are going to pick him up. It’s not like he’s leaving us. He’s going to be with us.”
Seahawks running back depth chart after Charbonnet injury
Kenneth Walker, who led the Seahawks with 1,027 rushing yards in the regular season, will continue to handle the bulk of the carries out of the Seahawks’ backfield. Velus Jones Jr., who was activated from the practice squad before the divisional round against the 49ers, figures to see an uptick in usage with Charbonnet injured. The Seahawks have one more designation to bring a player back from injured reserve, which could be utilized on injured halfback George Holani. Holani, a second-year pro, hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in a Week 12 win over the Titans. He tallied 73 rushing yards and a touchdown in the regular season.
Seattle will host the Rams with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Zach Charbonnet Injury: Seahawks RB to Miss Remainder of Playoffs with Torn ACL.
