Zach Charbonnet Needs Surgery, Sam Darnold's Status & Other Seahawks Injury Updates From Mike Macdonald

Updates from Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s appearance on Seattle Sports 710AM, including unfortunate news about running back Zach Charbonnet.

Jan 19, 2026 at 10:58 AM

John Boyle

Seahawks.com Senior Reporter

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The Seahawks will be without running back Zach Charbonnet for the remainder of the postseason, the result of the knee injury he suffered in Saturday night's divisional round win over the 49ers.

Charbonnet suffered what Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald called a significant knee injury during his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports 710AM, and the third-year back will need surgery, ending his season.

"He's got a significant knee injury, unfortunately," Macdonald said on the Brock and Salk Show. "Breaks your heart. He's going to need surgery, so he's got a good long road to come back. Our heart goes out to him, prayers go out to Charbs. We love him, man. This guy is the epitome of what it means to be a Seahawk. Absolute tough as nails, great teammate, great human being, plays his tail off, detail oriented, unselfish. It just hurts, man, it hurts that it's going on, but he's going to be back stronger than ever, and the guys are going to pick him up. It's not like he's leaving us, he's going to be with us."

Charbonnet, Seattle's second-leading rusher behind Kenneth Walker III, rushed for a career-best 730 yards and 12 touchdowns on 184 carries this season, becoming the first running back since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to have double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season. Walker is currently the only healthy running back on the 53-man roster, but the Seahawks also have veteran backs Velus Jones Jr and Cam Akers on the practice squad. Additionally, George Holani, who has been on injured reserve since late November due to a hamstring injury, could be a candidate to return, though he has not yet be designated to return to practice.

The news was more positive on left tackle Charles Cross, who left the game early with a foot injury, a decision Macdonald described after the game as being a precautionary one with the Seahawks having a big lead at the time.

"Day to day with Charles," Macdonald said. "We're going to work through that, day-to-day is the best way to put it."

As for quarterback Sam Darnold, who played through an oblique injury suffered in Thursday's practice, Macdonald said there were no setbacks, though as Darnold himself noted after the game, it's probably something they'll have to manage this week in practice.

"To my knowledge, he's good," Macdonald said. "He didn't make it worse or anything, but I'm sure he's sore. This is something that we're going to have to navigate the rest of the week."

Macdonald said there was almost no doubt that Darnold would play, even on the day the injury happened, both because of the way he responded to the setback, and because of the toughness he has shown the team this season.

"You could tell by his disposition after practice that he was like, 'There's no way I'm not playing his game,'" Macdonald said. "As the guy responsible for the whole thing, you're trying to make sure he's safe enough to play and all of that, you're trying to go through that process, but for the player, we had all the trust in the world, just seeing him, knowing that he's going to go through it and play. You could tell he's ready to go. And for a thrower, that is not a great injury, I'm sure he's feeling it, but he never wavered, never blinked, he's stone cold. He's tough as nails, and the guys recognized that. We knew it, he confirmed it again. A lot of respect for him."