Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is back on the active roster, nine months after he suffered a torn ACL.
The Seahawks officially activated Charbonnet from the physically unable to perform list today, making him eligible to play on Sunday night against the Chiefs.
Charbonnet has been practicing since October 1, so today was the 21-day deadline for Seattle either to activate him today or declare him out for the season. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald hasn’t committed to playing Charbonnet on Sunday night, but he sounded optimistic about it this week.
“Zach is going to have a full week’s worth of reps, so that’s exciting, and there’s a possibility that you could see him on Sunday in some capacity, so that’s exciting,” Macdonald said.
Last year Charbonnet had 184 carries for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns. Kenneth Walker was the Seahawks’ leading rusher last season, but Charbonnet was often the player they turned to in short-yardage and goal-line situations. His return should be big for Seattle’s offense, which has struggled without both Walker and Charbonnet.
With Walker now leading the league in rushing for the Chiefs, the return of Charbonnet for Seattle while the team travels to face Kansas City and Walker would add another element to a very big game coming on Sunday night.
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, was placed on injured reserve to make room on the 53-player roster for Charbonnet. Arroyo is expected to have surgery and miss the rest of the season.