'Going to Be Special': Soft-Spoken Zach Charbonnet Ready for Play to Speak Loudly in Seahawks' Return From ACL Tear
Officially back on the 53-man roster, Zach Charbonnet has made a remarkable comeback from a torn ACL, maximizing on a businesslike approach that has endeared him to coaches and teammates while rarely saying a word.
RENTON, Wash. - As teammates such as Sam Darnold love to joke, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet has always been a man of few words, preferring to talk with his pads and lead by example.
Hoarded by a media scrum outside of the locker room on Thursday, Charbonnet certainly didn't break out into a filibuster, and the typically reserved back stayed short and sweet with the light at the end of the tunnel becoming visible after a tremendous recovery from a torn ACL. Only eight months removed from surgery, the Seahawks activated him from the PUP list before Thursday's practice and added him to the 53-man roster, setting the stage for him to make his much-anticipated return on Sunday night against the Chiefs.
"Just taking it a day at a time," Charbonnet told reporters. "But whenever I'm out there, it's going to special. Just going to be happy to get back out there."
Earlier in the week, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald declined to commit to Charbonnet playing this upcoming weekend, simply saying he would get a "full week's worth of reps" at practice. But all signs this week - including making him available to the media for the first time - point to him returning just in time for a battle against his former backfield mate in Ken Walker III.
Jumping to full participation for the first time on Wednesday, Charbonnet appears to have finally hit the last step in an arduous rehab process that he has managed to tackle faster than most players coming off an ACL tear. Typically, the recovery process lasts nine to 12 months, and yet, he was back on the practice field a little under eight months after having his surgery on February 12.
