Seahawks reveal injury update following loss to 49ers in Week 5

The Seattle Seahawks suffered a tough loss on Sunday in NFL Week 5, and now they have more difficult news: Zach Charbonnet is not expected to return in Week 6 when the team plays on Thursday night. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the plan is for Charbonnet to remain out as he continues recovering from a knee injury.

Zach Charbonnet (knee) isn’t expected to play Thursday versus the Broncos, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said after Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. Via @CorbinSmithNFL https://t.co/bwGEGL0HId

The timing is especially unfortunate for Seattle. The Seahawks are coming off a 32-29 loss to San Francisco, where turnovers played a major role, and now they head into a short week against a Broncos defense that could make life even harder for an already depleted backfield.

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Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) Charbonnet’s absence is a significant blow for the Seahawks, particularly because Seattle had hoped his return would provide some much-needed stability at running back. He returned to practice ahead of Week 4 after beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list, but the short turnaround following Sunday’s game makes Thursday’s return unrealistic.

Seattle has now played its last two games without both Charbonnet and rookie running back Jadarian Price, who remains on injured reserve. That has left Emanuel Wilson and George Holani to handle the workload, which is likely to be the case again against Denver.

That is not an ideal situation heading into a matchup with the Broncos. Denver has built one of the NFL’s more difficult defensive units, and Seattle will need to find ways to move the football without the experienced Charbonnet available.

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) The timing of Charbonnet’s continued absence is even more frustrating considering what happened Sunday. Seattle committed four turnovers against San Francisco, with those giveaways directly leading to 21 points for the 49ers. One of those turnovers came from Holani, whose fumble near Seattle’s own goal line was recovered by San Francisco in the end zone for a touchdown.

It is impossible to know whether Charbonnet would have prevented that specific mistake, but there is no question Seattle would have been in a better position with one of its more experienced backs available. Holani’s fumble was one of several costly mistakes that ultimately contributed to Seattle’s three-point loss.

Now the Seahawks have to move forward without Charbonnet for at least one more game. Seattle will face Denver on Thursday before getting additional time to prepare for Week 7, which currently looks like a more realistic target for Charbonnet’s return.

For a Seahawks team trying to bounce back from a heartbreaking divisional loss, losing Charbonnet for another week makes an already difficult matchup even more challenging.

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