Seattle officially shifted Charbonnet to the reserve/physically unable to perform list on August 30 as part of its final roster cuts, locking him out of action until Week 5 at the earliest under NFL rules.
That timing sets up a fitting return date, with Seattle hosting San Francisco that week, the same opponent Charbonnet tore his ACL against in a January playoff win.
Backfield That's Already Moved On Without Him
The Seahawks didn't wait around to fill the void.
Seattle used its first-round pick this year on Jadarian Price, who's currently penciled in as the starter, with George Holani and Emanuel Wilson rounding out the active running back room behind him.
Holani has drawn praise this summer as the team's third-down back, while Wilson, signed away from Green Bay in March, missed Seattle's entire preseason with a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready for Week 1.
That's a real logjam for Charbonnet to break back into once he's healthy, especially with Price occupying the draft capital and expectation level that usually goes to a workhorse back.
Trade Chatter Won't Go Away
Charbonnet is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he's been named among Seattle's top trade candidates for the season.
Seattle won't move Charbonnet while he remains on PUP, but could reconsider closer to November's trade deadline once he's healthy and evaluators have a clearer picture of where Price stands.
Charbonnet was very productive when healthy, setting career highs with 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last season as Kenneth Walker's complement before the injury, numbers that would still hold nice trade value for a team desperate at the position.
The bigger question is what Seattle does if Price simply doesn't need the help. If the rookie takes off in the season's first four games while Charbonnet is still sidelined, the Seahawks could find themselves with a talented, healthy veteran back and no clear role to give him, which is the kind of situation that tends to end in a trade rather than a roster spot.
