Zach Charbonnet, Ty Okada Return to Practice as Seahawks Ramp Up Preparations for Chargers

RENTON, Wash. - While it remains to be seen when either player will suit up for game action for the first time in 2026, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed back two key starters to the practice field with running back Zach Charbonnet and safety Ty Okada returning as limited participants on Thursday.

Designated to return from the PUP list, Charbonnet’s latest step shifts him one step closer to the end of a difficult journey recovering from a torn ACL. The fourth-year back injured his knee during a Divisional Round victory over the 49ers in January and didn’t undergo surgery to repair the ligament until February 20, putting his status for the upcoming season up in the air with just five months until the start of training camp.

But Charbonnet has seemingly been well ahead of schedule throughout the process, drawing praise from coach Mike Macdonald on numerous occasions for his outstanding work ethic and attacking his rehabilitation program from Day 1. Barely seven months after his surgery, he could be seen cutting on the practice field and donning a helmet for the first time since the injury, moving closer to a much-anticipated return for a Seattle backfield that certainly could use him.

As part of a two-headed monster with Ken Walker III last season, Charbonnet rushed for 750 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns, emerging as one of the best goal line backs in the entire league. Per Pro Football Focus charting, he forced 46 missed tackles combined in the regular season and playoffs and finished eighth among qualified backs producing 3.33 yards after contact per rush, giving the Seahawks a ferocious complement to the speedy Walker that served a vital role in developing the team’s offensive identity on the way to a Super Bowl win.

Without Charbonnet so far this season, rookie Jadarian Price and veterans George Holani and Emanuel Wilson have struggled to generate the same production after contact and the Seahawks as a team have been one of the worst performing offenses in short yardage and red zone situations. They have only scored one rushing touchdown thus far, and that came from tight end AJ Barner on a “Barn Yard” sneak, while the trio of Price, Holani, and Wilson have yet to convert a third down run with three yards or less to gain into a first down in three games.

Seattle could have brought Charbonnet back to practice on Wednesday, but choosing to open up his 21-day window one day later was determined by design. His three-week ramp up period includes a Thursday night trip to Denver to face the Broncos, and all three of the practices leading up to that game will be walkthroughs with a short week. By waiting an extra day to designate him to return, he will now get an additional mid-week Thursday practice before the team has to activate him to the 53-man roster.

Looking at a realistic timeline for Charbonnet to make his season debut, the Seahawks won’t rush this final step now that he’s back at practice and there’s absolutely no way he will play against the Chargers on Sunday. Returning as quickly as Week 5 for a critical home date with the 49ers or a short week match with the Broncos four days later seems improbable as well. With 10 days between games after the trip to Denver and his 21-day window ending on October 22, a home date with the Chiefs on the following Sunday seems like the best bet for him to suit up and square off against Walker in a battle of former backfield mates.

Out since the days leading up to the season opener with a hamstring injury, Okada’s recovery has taken a bit longer than Seattle originally anticipated, with the team choosing not to place him on short-term injured reserve. With him sidelined, Rodney Thomas II has started all three games thus far and played well, recording six tackles and a trio of pass breakups with no missed tackles or touchdowns allowed in coverage, while AJ Finley stepped in for Julian Love last week in a loss to Washington in Landover.

Coming off a breakout third season where he started 11 games in place of Love and departed former starter Coby Bryant, Okada was expected to kick the season off as a full-time starter for the first time in his career. Even with how well Thomas has played in his absence, after tallying 57 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception a year ago, he should be thrust right back into the lineup when he’s healthy enough to suit up, though his return to practice may not necessarily mean he’s close to making his 2026 debut either.

While he isn’t coming off near as serious of an injury as Charbonnet, Okada may need more than a week of practices to slowly ramp back up before the Seahawks can confidently deploy him again. Soft tissue injuries such as the hamstring strain he has been dealing with can be quite fickle and prone to reinjury if players return to the field before they are ready, so the team will want to make sure he’s all the way back health-wise, making this weekend against the Chargers a long shot at best and Week 5 against the 49ers a strong target for him.

Most of the injury news coming out of the VMAC on Thursday was on the positive side of the coin, but Seattle could have questions at running back this weekend beyond Charbonnet’s timeline for returning to games. After being limited on Wednesday, Price sat out Thursday’s practice with a chest injury that he has been nursing since a Week 2 win in Arizona, while Holani has been limited all week by a rib issue. If the rookie isn’t able to play on Sunday, Holani and Wilson will be pressed into pseudo-starter roles, while either Jacardia Wright and/or Velus Jones Jr. likely would be elevated off the practice squad.

On the plus side, Love spoke with media prior to Thursday’s practice and though he was still limited, he’s trending towards being available to play against the Chargers after sitting out last Sunday’s loss with a calf injury. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed (foot) and guard Grey Zabel (groin) both jumped back up to full participation after being limited in Wednesday’s practice as well.