Why Seahawks' Zach Charbonnet has a lot at stake for 2026 season

The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl 60 over the New England Patriots, and Kenneth Walker III won Super Bowl MVP. But, he left in free agency to join the Kansas City Chiefs.

That's left Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, and new additions Jadarian Price and Emmanuel Wilson as the team's running backs. Of these four RBs, Charbonnet has the most on the line in 2026.

Saad Yousuf of The Athletic named Charbonnet as the one Seahawks player with the most on the line in 2026, as he has a real chance to be the team's RB1. But, there's one issue: Charbonnet is hurt and will miss a decent chunk of the season.

Why Zach Charbonnet has a lot on the line in 2026 for Seahawks

"With Kenneth Walker's departure, Charbonnet would be a prime candidate to take over the backfield in Seattle in the final year of his rookie contract," Yousuf writes. "However, Charbonnet is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last postseason and could take some time to hit his stride in 2026, while also facing competition from Jadarian Price, whom the Seahawks drafted in the first round in April."

The running back position in Seattle is a very important one in 2026, as the loss of Walker is a huge one. But, what makes this RB room even more concerning is that Charbonnet is out for a while due to his ACL recovery.

While he should be able to return at some point during the regular season, Charbonnet will still miss some time. With how much he has on the line this year, that absence is a huge deal.

Drafted in the second-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Charbonnet is in the final year of his rookie deal and hit free agency after the 2026 season.

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To cash in, Charbonnet needs to have a good season. But, he's going to miss a few weeks this season, and with Price also factoring into the backfield, it's going to be hard for Charbonnet to do enough to justify a large payday.

This upcoming season is a huge one fr Charbonnet, not only to return from injury and return to a large share of the backfield touches, but also to earn a payday after the season comes to a close.

But with Price in the backfield, and this injury likely to hold him out for a while, Charbonnet is facing some big issues ahead of a very important season.

This upcoming season is a massive one for Charbonnet, as his future payday and his role as a featured running back are on the line. It just so happens to coincide with an ACL injury recovery, which is some bad luck for the 25-year-old RB.

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