Charbonnet is expected to miss time this season, but how much is up for debate.
The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots at Lumen Field to open the new NFL season, but they'll be without running back Zach Charbonnet.
Granted, the Seahawks knew this when Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs last season, and it is widely expected that the running back will miss a fair chunk of the first part of the year.
It isn't known exactly when he'll return, and when he does, we imagine that he will be a slow burn as he ramps up into football activities.
But as we have seen with other players, such as Patrick Mahomes, the timetable for returning from an ACL injury varies from player to player.
Some wait a full year to return, while others like to push the boundaries and get back sooner.
Which, according to Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, is exactly what Charbonnet is trying to do.
"Zach's doing awesome,” Macdonald said. “I think he has a certain timetable in his mind which we won't divulge right now, that he's targeting and he's on target for that timetable, which is great. It's an aggressive timetable if you just put the whole thing into perspective.
“I think that shows what type of guy he is, just being able to come back and work through that process and get over those hurdles that it takes to put himself in this position. But he looks awesome. Whenever I see him doing anything, he looks pretty dang good.”
So positive strides are being made for the Seahawks' red zone weapon last year (12 TDs) as he aims to keep on schedule for his "aggressive timetable."
The Seahawks drafted Jadarian Price and signed Emanuel Wilson in free agency to cover the loss of Kenneth Walker, and the franchise also has George Holani to cycle through as well.
So, three backs will likely rotate for Brian Fleury until Charbonnet returns, and when he does, I'd imagine he could take the starting role, with Price as his backup.
Seattle will be cautious with Charbonnet, though, as despite his clear desire to return earlier than originally planned, it won't want to push him too far, because he can't break down again.
For now, its all positive for Charbonnet in his quest to return from an ACL injury, and the trick here is to make sure it stays that way.
