Ahead of the NFC Championship game, it's been confirmed that running back Zach Charbonnet must undergo season-ending knee surgery, putting his 2026 campaign into question.
Running back Kenneth Walker III was the star of the show for the Seattle Seahawks in their 41-6 mauling of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional round. Sam Darnold was dealing with an oblique strain while Walker's running mate Zach Charbonnet was knocked out of the game with an injury.
Walker's three rushing touchdowns were pivotal in the No. 1-seed Seahawks advancing to the NFC Championship. Now, after news of the extent of Charbonnet's injury, Seattle will need a duplicate performance out of their lead back in order to advance to the Super Bowl.
ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that Charbonnet has suffered a season-ending knee injury that will require surgery, additionally putting his full 2026 season into question.
Head coach Mike Macdonald was quoted as saying it is "a significant knee injury, unfortunately. Breaks your heart. He's going to need surgery, so he's got a good long road to come back."
Charbonnet was the Seahawks' second-leading rusher with 730 yards on 184 carries (4.0 per) in 2025. He scored five of Seattle's 18 rushing touchdowns during the regular season as Walker carried much of the load with 1,027 yards on 221 carries (4.6 per) and 10 rushing touchdowns.
With the elite front seven of the Los Angeles Rams on deck in the conference title game, Seattle hopes Walker can channel the explosiveness he had against San Francisco, where he churned out 145 all-purpose yards to go with those three scores, which tied Shaun Alexander for the franchise postseason record.
Seattle will remain a favorite in the race for the Lombardi Trophy this season if Walker keeps up this pace, but even more crucial for the franchise is his future in the Pacific Northwest.
Walker is due to be a free agent this spring. While this stellar postseason has already earned him a higher asking price than before, the injury to Charbonnet makes his re-signing in Seattle all the more important for general manager John Schneider.
The 25-year-old running back has spent four seasons with the Seahawks after being drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He posted career highs in rushing and in touchdowns as a rookie, but has bounced back with his most impressive season since this season. Adding to his case for a hefty contract extension has been this postseason run, where Walker averaged 6.1 yards per rush in the Seahawks' only game in the playoffs thus far.
Walker's current rookie contract has paid him an average of $2.11 million over the last four years.
Salary cap database Spotrac has Walker's market value at $8.4 million AAV based on his age and on-field production. That would suggest a four-year extension could cost as much as $33.5 million.
