After seven weeks at less than full strength in the backfield, the Seahawks will have a pair of reinforcements for Week 8. Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price are in line to suit up against the Bears on Monday.
Neither Charbonnet nor Price has an injury designation going into that primetime matchup, ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes. As a result, Charbonnet is positioned to make his season debut. Last year’s ACL tear resulted in missed time at the start of the campaign, but he was activated from the reserve/PUP list last week. Optimism about a Week 8 debut has proven to be well-placed.
Price, meanwhile, returned to practice this week. That opened his 21-day activation window and paved the way for a return to take place after a four-game stretch on injured reserve. Price has not yet officially been moved back onto the active roster, but the fact he will not carry an injury designation into Monday’s game confirms he will be available.
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker departed in free agency, creating a notable vacancy in Seattle’s backfield. The team currently ranks 17th in rushing yards per game, but Charbonnet’s return in particular should help the cause. Improved offensive play will of course also be expected given the trade acquisition of All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks can establish better balance on offense with Nelson and a healthy RB tandem in the fold.
Drafted in the second round one year after Walker’s arrival, Charbonnet has seen his offensive role increase with each passing season. The 25-year-old rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season before his campaign abruptly ended during the playoffs. Charbonnet’s rookie contract will expire at the end of the year, so an injury-free stretch moving forward would be critical in determining his market value for 2027.
Price encountered fumbling issues prior to his IR stint. The first-round rookie has yet to find the end zone in the NFL, and it remains to be seen how large his workload will be with Charbonnet back in the fold. In any case, Seattle’s offense will receive a notable boost in time for the upcoming game against Chicago.