Seahawks’ 12-TD RB Receives ‘Unquestioned No. 1’ Prediction

The Seattle Seahawks are preparing for a change of the guard at running back after Kenneth Walker III left for the Kansas City Chiefs.

That transition has been complicated by Zach Charbonnet‘s recovery from a torn ACL, but a national NFL writer believes Seattle already has its next featured back waiting.

Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano named Charbonnet the Seahawks’ breakout candidate for 2026 and predicted the fourth-year running back could eventually emerge as the team’s “unquestioned No. 1 back.”

It would be a significant leap in responsibility for Charbonnet, who spent his first three seasons splitting work with Walker.

Yet, his 2025 action gave Seattle evidence that he can handle a heftier role once cleared.

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Charbonnet Already Showed Seahawks He Can Handle Bigger Burden

Charbonnet rushed for a career-high 730 yards and 12 touchdowns on 184 carries last season. He finished second on Seattle in rushing behind Walker, but his touchdown total led the team.

Vacchiano pointed to Charbonnet’s career 4.1 yards per carry and his reliability as a pass-catcher while making the case for a bigger role. He also wrote that Charbonnet could produce “Walker-like numbers” once healthy.

Walker set a substantial bar before leaving Seattle. He rushed for 1,027 yards in the regular season, then ran for 135 yards in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win before signing with the Chiefs in March.

That departure removed the player who had started 17 regular-season games and handled 221 carries in 2025.

And Charbonnet had already carved out his own important role, particularly near the goal line. Per Seahawks’ official website, Charbonnet became the franchise’s first player since 2014 to post double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season.

His opportunity to build on that season disappeared in the divisional round. Charbonnet tore his ACL during Seattle’s win over the San Francisco 49ers and underwent surgery in February.

The Seahawks placed him on the physically unable to perform list before training camp.

If he remains there when the roster is reduced to 53 players, he would have to miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

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First-Round Pick Could Affect Charbonnet’s Role

Seattle didn’t leave the backfield untouched after Walker’s exit.

The Seahawks used the No. 32 overall pick on Jadarian Price, giving the defending champions another young running back with a shot to earn early work.

Price rushed for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns on 113 carries during his final season at Notre Dame.

Fox Sports didn’t view Price as an immediate obstacle to Charbonnet becoming Seattle’s lead back, citing the rookie’s narrow college workload.

The bigger doubt could be how quickly Charbonnet is able to return to full strength.

Head coach Mike Macdonald hasn’t placed a timetable on the running back’s recovery, though he gave an encouraging assessment early in camp.

Macdonald said Charbonnet had “attacked the heck out of the offseason and his rehab” and added that the returns from that work had been encouraging.

Price, meanwhile, missed Seattle’s Football Fest practice with what Macdonald called lower-body soreness. The coach described it as a minor issue and said the rookie should return within days.

Meanwhile, Charbonnet’s next goal is getting healthy enough to take the workload that opened when Walker left.

If he does, Fox Sports’ prediction would represent a new direction for a player who spent three years as part of a committee.

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