# Zach Charbonnet activated; Seahawks expect him back Sunday

Seattle restored its running back to the 53-man roster after his ACL recovery, but the team has not confirmed his game-day workload against Kansas City.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / NFL
Published: 2026-10-23T21:12:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-23T21:12:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/zach-charbonnet-activated-seahawks-1oe0y8s
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/3e72afd76da0b5266078dcc3719c6b84.webp (Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet practices ahead of the Week 7 game against Kansas City; credit: Rod Mar / Seattle Seahawks)

## Summary
- Seattle activated Charbonnet from the physically unable to perform list.
- The official injury report lists him as a full participant without a game-status designation.
- His workload against Kansas City remains unannounced.

## Back on the active roster

The Seattle Seahawks activated running back Zach Charbonnet from the physically unable to perform list Thursday, returning him to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday night's Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Seattle's announcement confirms the roster move, not that he is guaranteed to play. Charbonnet began the season on the list while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in Seattle's January divisional-round playoff win. [1](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-activate-zach-charbonnet-from-pup-list) [2](https://www.reuters.com/sports/seahawks-activate-rb-zach-charbonnet-pup-list--flm-2026-10-22/)

The team opened his 21-day practice window on Oct. 1; its expiration meant Seattle had to activate him or keep him on the list for the rest of the season. Activation clears the administrative hurdle while leaving the game-day decision and role to the coaching staff. [1](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-activate-zach-charbonnet-from-pup-list) [2](https://www.reuters.com/sports/seahawks-activate-rb-zach-charbonnet-pup-list--flm-2026-10-22/)

## Practice offers encouraging signs

The Seahawks' official injury report lists Charbonnet as a full participant in practice, including Friday, and the NFL's Week 7 report shows no game-status designation for him as of this update. Before the roster move, coach Mike Macdonald said Charbonnet could appear Sunday in some capacity, while stressing that the decision would depend on his work through the week. Full participation and roster activation are meaningful steps, but neither establishes how many snaps he will get. [3](https://www.seahawks.com/news/2026-week-7-injury-report-chiefs-at-seahawks) [4](https://www.nfl.com/injuries/)

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Friday that he expected Charbonnet to play Sunday and receive substantial work. That is a reporter's expectation, not a workload announcement from Seattle. The clearest current reading is narrower: Charbonnet is back on the active roster, practicing fully and positioned to make his season debut, while his exact availability and workload remain unconfirmed. [3](https://www.seahawks.com/news/2026-week-7-injury-report-chiefs-at-seahawks) [4](https://www.nfl.com/injuries/) [5](https://www.rotoballer.com/player-news/zach-charbonnet-expected-to-play-a-lot-on-sunday/1973753)

## What his return would add

A return would give Seattle another option in a backfield that has been without Charbonnet for the first six weeks. He scored 12 rushing touchdowns and ran for 730 yards in 2025, according to Reuters, but those past numbers do not determine his role immediately after a long recovery. [2](https://www.reuters.com/sports/seahawks-activate-rb-zach-charbonnet-pup-list--flm-2026-10-22/)

The Seahawks host Kansas City on Sunday, Oct. 25. The next definitive confirmation will be the team's game-day inactive list and, if Charbonnet is active, how Seattle deploys him. Until then, the roster transaction and full-practice designation support optimism without guaranteeing a specific role. [1](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-activate-zach-charbonnet-from-pup-list) [3](https://www.seahawks.com/news/2026-week-7-injury-report-chiefs-at-seahawks) [4](https://www.nfl.com/injuries/)

## Reporting sources
1. [Seattle Seahawks: Seahawks Activate Zach Charbonnet From PUP List](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-activate-zach-charbonnet-from-pup-list) (2026-10-22)
2. [Reuters: Seahawks activate RB Zach Charbonnet from PUP list](https://www.reuters.com/sports/seahawks-activate-rb-zach-charbonnet-pup-list--flm-2026-10-22/) (2026-10-22)
3. [Seattle Seahawks: 2026 Week 7 Injury Report: Chiefs at Seahawks](https://www.seahawks.com/news/2026-week-7-injury-report-chiefs-at-seahawks) (2026-10-23)
4. [NFL.com: NFL Week 7 injury report](https://www.nfl.com/injuries/) (2026-10-23)
5. [RotoBaller: Zach Charbonnet expected to play Sunday](https://www.rotoballer.com/player-news/zach-charbonnet-expected-to-play-a-lot-on-sunday/1973753) (2026-10-23)