Ahead of training camp, the Seattle Seahawks placed safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle surgery) and running back Zach Charbonnet (recovery from an ACL tear), along with three other players, on the PUP list for physically unable to perform. The team risks losing key contributors at the start of the season.
Nick Emmanwori lands on the Seahawks’ PUP list after ankle surgery
Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, who was expected to cement a spot in the starting lineup in his second season, began training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. As reported by The Seattle Times, the player underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle to address damage that had been present before the Super Bowl. The team placed him on the PUP list on July 28, and while no exact timetable for recovery has been given, he is expected to miss the start of camp but be ready for the regular-season opener against the New England Patriots on September 9.
Notably, back in June, Emmanwori had said things were “all good,” but according to a source, the ankle pain had not gone away. During the 2025 season, he suffered two injuries to the same leg: first, a high ankle sprain in the season opener that caused him to miss three games, and then a low ankle sprain four days before the Super Bowl. Still, he played in the championship game and helped the Seahawks rout their opponent 29-13, recording five tackles.
A second-round pick in the 2025 draft (35th overall), Emmanwori has been an important part of the defense in a hybrid safety/nickel role, and his absence at the start of camp forces the coaching staff to look for alternatives. While he remains on the PUP list, the team can activate him at any time following medical evaluations. But if he stays in that status into the start of the season, he will miss at least four games.
The key point here is the term “PUP list.” This is a special NFL list for players who, due to injury, are unable to participate in practices. It allows a team to free up a roster spot without releasing the player. An arthroscopic procedure is a minimally invasive operation in which a camera and instruments are inserted through a small incision to remove damaged tissue. Such a surgery typically requires several weeks of recovery.
Interestingly, Emmanwori is not the only one to begin camp on the PUP list. Along with him, running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh, rookie defensive tackle Deven Eastern, and cornerback Tyron Brod(e)n were also placed on it. That suggests the Seahawks are approaching the preseason with caution, giving injured players extra time.
Beyond the medical angle, this story underscores how difficult last season was for the young safety. Two injuries to one ankle, playing through pain in the Super Bowl—and now surgery in the offseason. If Emmanwori is able to return by the start of the championship, he will remain an important piece of the defense, but any disruption in his recovery could ripple across the entire Seahawks defensive scheme.
Zach Charbonnet lands on the injury list before Seahawks training camp
The Seahawks placed running back Zach Charbonnet on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list before training camp begins. The decision was expected for a player who is recovering from a knee surgery in the offseason. Last season, Charbonnet produced 730 rushing yards on 184 carries with 12 touchdowns, becoming the first Seahawks player to reach double-digit rushing TDs in a season since Marshawn Lynch did it in 2014. However, his season ended in the playoffs because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) suffered in the division-round win over the San Francisco 49ers.
There are currently no precise return timelines for Charbonnet, but Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has already noted how hard the player is working during the rehab process. “He’s doing a great job,” Macdonald said last month. “I know he has high expectations of himself, and we’re excited to see where that leads.” The PUP list (physically unable to perform) means a player cannot take part in practices or games, but they remain on the team roster and continue to receive their salary. Typically, it’s a temporary measure, and once the player is recovered, the team can activate him.
For Seattle, losing Charbonnet for an uncertain stretch is a serious blow to the rushing attack—especially since he became the key runner after Kenneth Walker left. His 12 rushing touchdowns last season reminded fans of the “Beast” era of Lynch, but now the team will have to rely on other running backs while Charbonnet recovers. The insights in the article highlight that ACL surgery always requires a long recovery, and the return date remains unclear. Based on the coach’s comments, the player is determined, but the Seahawks’ medical staff clearly won’t take risks with the athlete’s health. The full article is available on the team’s official website at this link.
Notably, ACL injuries in the NFL are among the most serious: a full recovery usually takes 9 to 12 months, putting Charbonnet’s availability at the start of the new season in question. In the short term, that increases the workload for other Seahawks running backs such as Kenneth Walker III, and it could also lead the team to search for reinforcement in the free-agent market. The coaching staff appears to remain optimistic, but for fans it’s a worrying sign: losing one of the team’s best scorers at the height of training camp.
Fickle freshness: the Seahawks send their fifth player to the injury list
Ahead of training camp, which kicks off Saturday, the medical staff for the Seattle Seahawks continues its active work. The next player to land on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list is running back Zach Charbonnet. Now five players are on the list, and the additions have come in each of the past five days. According to Seattle Sports, the decision on Charbonnet didn’t come as a surprise—he is recovering from surgery on torn ACLs, suffered in January during a playoff win over the San Francisco Forty Niners.
From the start, it was expected that Charbonnet would miss the beginning of the 2026 season. However, when asked in a June interview whether his player could be on the field in Week 1, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald only gave a mysterious smile and replied, “Anything is possible.” That kind of diplomacy suggests the team isn’t ruling out a quicker-than-expected return, but official league statistics and NFL rules indicate otherwise.
Under league rules, any player placed on the PUP list can be activated at any time during training camp. But if, at the end of the roster reduction to 53 players (before the start of the regular season), he is still on the list, he must miss at least the first four game weeks. That means the decision on Charbonnet could be delayed until the very last moment.
Before Charbonnet, rookie defensive back Deven Eastern (a seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft), unexpectedly for many—second-year safety Nick Emmanwori—along with running back Kenny McIntosh and cornerback Tyron Brod(e)n were also placed on PUP. Emmanwori’s placement was especially surprising: last season he made a strong impression and became one of the defensive bright spots for the Seahawks.
Zach Charbonnet had the best season of his career in 2025. In 16 games (none of them as a starter), he tallied 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, staying second on the depth chart behind Kenneth Walker III. Walker left for Kansas City as a free agent, and the Seahawks’ plan now is to build a new rushing tandem of Charbonnet and a rookie from Notre Dame, Jadarian Price, who was selected in the first round of the 2026 draft. When Charbonnet returns, this pair should become the foundation of the team’s run game.
For now, though, the injury list keeps growing, and Seahawks fans are left hoping the absences will be short. After all, as coach Macdonald himself noted, “anything is possible.”
