RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet will not make his season debut Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, and former backfield mate Kenneth Walker III, despite being activated from the physically unable to perform list this week.
Coach Mike Macdonald said Friday that Charbonnet did not suffer a setback, adding that this was part of the plan as Charbonnet works back from having surgery to repair a torn ACL in February.
"If anything, it's going as good as we could hope it could go," Macdonald said.
Meanwhile, defensive back Nick Emmanwori is questionable with a hip injury that emerged Friday, when he was officially listed as limited in practice. Macdonald declined to provide further details. Right guard Anthony Bradford will return to the lineup after missing five games with a knee injury, and linebacker Drake Thomas is out with an ankle injury.
Charbonnet was activated from the PUP list to the active roster on Thursday, the final day of a 21-day window that opened when he began practicing. The Seahawks had to activate him before that window closed or his season would be over. He has practiced in full this week for the first time since the injury.
"Whenever I'm out there, it's going to be special," Charbonnet said before Thursday's practice. "Just going to be happy to be back out there."
Despite being ruled out for Sunday, Charbonnet is still ahead of the typical recovery timeline for a torn ACL--most professional athletes need nine to 12 months. However, Charbonnet, who rehabbed in Seattle and his native Southern California, said his goal was to return by mid-October after surgery on Feb. 12. He said Thursday that he feels "pretty good."
Charbonnet won't be on the field to face Walker, a close friend during their time with the Seahawks. Walker is leading the NFL in rushing yards (665) through six weeks and is on track for 2,261 rushing yards, which would break Eric Dickerson's single-season record (2,105).
"That's my guy," Charbonnet said. "That's one of my best friends that was here."
The Seahawks have not established a consistent rushing attack without Charbonnet and rookie Jadarian Price, who has been sidelined since Week 4 with a chest injury and cannot return until at least Week 8. Seattle ranks 18th in rushing yards per game (107.2), and the Seahawks have lost five fumbles, four by their running backs.
"There's obviously room for improvement," offensive coordinator Brian Fleury said. "And we've been dealing with some moving pieces there at a couple different places."
Bradford's return means the Seahawks will have all five starting offensive linemen available for the first time since the season opener.
Across three seasons, Charbonnet has 427 carries for 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns, including a career-high 12 last year. He also has 95 catches for 693 yards and one receiving touchdown.
Emmanwori missed the season opener while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and his snaps were limited until Week 4. In five games, the versatile Emmanwori has 23 tackles and two sacks. Twenty of those tackles came in Seattle's past three games.
Seattle signed WR Irv Charles off the practice squad Friday, one week after his season debut. In a corresponding move, the Seahawks released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs and signed him to the practice squad.
Diggs, 28, is a vested veteran and is not subject to waivers. The Seahawks initially released Diggs during their final 53-man roster cuts, then promoted him to the active roster on Oct. 10 before his season debut against the Los Angeles Chargers. Diggs has played sparingly, with one tackle across three games.
This article originally appeared in [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7718327/2026/10/23/zach-charbonnet-injury-seahawks-nick-emmanwori/).