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The Seattle Seahawks made light work of their NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, but it came with a key loss heading into the NFC Championship Game.
The Seahawks will be without running back Zach Charbonnet in another NFC West matchup with the Los Angeles Rams standing between Seattle and a Super Bowl berth.
Charbonnet suffered a season-ending “significant” knee injury, later reported to be a torn ACL, in the 41-6 win over the 49ers.
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Zach Charbonnet of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed that Charbonnet will miss the rest of the playoffs, which is a big loss considering the two-headed monster Seattle has used all year in the backfield.
Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III have been one of the best running back tandems in the NFL this season, with the former leading the team in rushing touchdowns (12) in the regular season.
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Macdonald, who did not specify what Charbonnet’s injury was, said he would face a “long road back,” which could mean he misses all of next season as well.
Charbonnet and Walker led the way for the 10th-best rushing team in the NFL this season with 2,096 yards on the ground. Walker had 1,027 for the Seahawks, though Charbonnet was entrusted by offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in the red zone, hitting 12 of 19 rushing scores.
Zach Charbonnet of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after making a play during overtime of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on December 18, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
When Charbonnet suffered his injury early in the win at Lumen Field, the Seahawks relied on Walker to carry the workload, and he did not disappoint.
Walker scored three times for Seattle and totaled 116 yards on 19 carries in a phenomenal performance to help his team stay alive in the playoffs. Walker also had 29 yards on three catches from quarterback Sam Darnold, who also secured his first career playoff victory.
The Seahawks will look to Walker again this coming Sunday in the third meeting between these division foes this season.
Zach Charbonnet of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before facing the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Charbonnet finished his third season in the league after being taken in the second round out of UCLA. He gained a career-high 730 yards on 184 rushing attempts, while his touchdown total is also a personal best.
