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# Seahawks Activate Irv Charles, Signal Potential RB Change
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-seahawks-activate-irv-charles-signal-potential-rb-change/
- Published: 2026-10-14T00:35:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-14T00:51:45.000Z
- Description: Adding a physical menace to their kick and punt coverage teams, Irv Charles finally has a shot to make an impact for the Seahawks on Thursday, while the corresponding move to add him to the roster may have backfield ripple effects on Thursday night in Denver.
- Author: Corbin K. Smith
- Tags: News, Irvin Charles, Seahawks, Robert Henry Jr., Velus Jones Jr.

After returning to the practice field on October 7, the Seattle Seahawks could have a valued special teams reinforcement set to make his team debut on Thursday night against the Denver Broncos.

Held out of Sunday's loss against the 49ers, the Seahawks activated veteran receiver Irv Charles to the active roster on Tuesday, opening the door for him to play against the Broncos in the Mile High City. In a corresponding move, the team released running back Velus Jones Jr. and re-signed him to the practice squad.

One of Seattle's last additions in the offseason, Charles arrived via trade from the Jets in June after missing all of the 2025 season recovering from a torn ACL. He battled an ankle injury early in training camp and did not play at all in the preseason, but the team used one of two immediate injured reserve designations on him during final cutdowns, ensuring he would remain on the roster.

Before suffering the aforementioned knee injury late in the 2024 season, Charles emerged as one of the NFL's best gunners in New York. In two seasons with the team, he registered 14 combined tackles on kick and punt coverage and also blocked a punt, displaying a well-rounded skill set in the third phase of the game.

Built like a tight end at 6-4, 225 pounds, Charles has yet to catch a pass or even be targeted in an NFL regular season game. He last caught a ball in game action during the preseason in 2023, when he reeled in three passes for 61 yards, so he's unlikely to make contributions on offense for the Seahawks.

However, Seattle has had a bit more trouble covering kicks than it did a year ago, currently ranked 29th in the NFL allowing 29 yards per return. Adding a physical, sound tackler of Charles' caliber to the mix could prove to be a real difference maker for coordinator Jay Harbaugh's unit, and he likely will step into Jones' place as one of the gunners on punt coverage.

"He’s a physical guy, he’s a bigger receiver. He’s a great gunner," coach Mike Macdonald said of Charles last Friday, when he originally received a questionable designation. "We’ll see how he does as he comes back."

Speaking of Jones, the decision to cut him off the 53-man roster could have more ramifications for Thursday's game than being replaced on special teams for the Seahawks.

After the pairing of Emanuel Wilson and George Holani finished with under 70 rushing yards and lost a critical pair of fumbles inside Seattle's 20-yard line against San Francisco on Sunday, rookie Robert Henry Jr. could be thrust into a significant role as means to revive a dormant ground game. The undrafted back out of UTSA signed with the Seahawks off of the Commanders' practice squad last week and the team chose to hold him out following three practices.

[Robert Henry Jr. Blessed for ‘Great Opportunity’ Joining Seahawks’ BackfieldRENTON, Wash. - Switching teams during the middle of an NFL season always creates chaos, with quickly finding a place to live in a new city to rapidly learning a new playbook in a matter of days being only two of the many challenges facing players under such circumstances.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/icon/Seahawks--1--67ae6d14-14ba-4db0-873c-7fdd2d735981.jpg)Emerald City SpectrumCorbin K. Smith![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/thumbnail/chatgpt-image-oct-7-2c-2026-2c-01_56_34-pm-4298a95d-be5e-4b94-8a5d-01684bc9f745.png)](https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/robert-henry-jr-blessed-great-opportunity-seattle-seahawks-backfield/)

But with a few more days to master offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's playbook and Zach Charbonnet not expected to make his season debut on Thursday night, Henry may now be ready to jump into game action for Seattle, even if he doesn't have everything down just yet.

“There’s different criteria for having guys up. Does he need to know everything? No," Macdonald said of Henry on Monday.

Considering how much Wilson and Holani struggled on Sunday, it will be interesting to see how the Seahawks handle their running back rotation against a talented Broncos defense. The vets likely will still get the first dibs, but if either player puts the ball on the ground again, Henry will undoubtedly get his shot to impress in a backfield that badly could use a spark.

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