Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Zach Charbonnet

Thursday, July 2, 9:13 AM

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet continues to recover from the ACL tear he suffered in the team's divisional round win over the 49ers, and by all accounts, he is progressing well. Charbonnet was spotted doing light work on a side field during the final practice of minicamp, and a scheduled check-up on the knee in late July could provide the green light for a more extensive workload at the start of training camp. The Seahawks spent their 2026 first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, but Charbonnet is no stranger to backfield competition. Sharing work with last season's eventual Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, Charbonnet touched the ball more than 200 times and was given many of the team's most high-value opportunities. His 50 red-zone carries in 2025 were the ninth most in the league, while only four players had more attempts from within the five-yard line, helping him to finish the year with 12 rushing touchdowns. If he can return to anything close to full health, there is no reason to believe he couldn't handle an even larger role in this offense, and with an ADP currently outside the top 45 at the position, Charbonnet is a player to target in the late rounds of 2026 drafts, particularly in leagues with IR spots.