The Seattle Seahawks will be without one of their top offensive contributors on Sunday. Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the second quarter of the win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Kenneth Walker III is still fully healthy, and he's already proven that he's more than capable of leading a running game on his own. That being said, Mike Macdonald will need more depth for his backfield when his team hosts the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC Championship Game.
The Seahawks' one-two punch was one of the best in the game, and replacing Charbonnet, who had 730 rushing yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns, will be a tall order. Considering that, Coach Macdonald confirmed that they could turn to third-string RB George Holani, who's currently on Injured Reserve.
The Seattle Seahawks need George Holani to step up
“George is an option, yeah,” Macdonald told the media Monday afternoon. “We’ll see how it goes this week. Probably hear from that over the next few days.”
An undrafted free agent, the second-year product has turned 22 carries into 73 yards and one score this season. He's also hauled in two receptions for 15 yards and has 16 kick returns for 387 yards. While used primarily on special teams, his craftiness and speed could give the Seahawks a change-of-pace back for this must-win game.
The Boise State product has been on Injured Reserve since Nov. 29. He suffered a hamstring injury in the win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, and he should be back to full strength by now. Also, having him on the field might take some heat off Rashid Shaheed, keeping him fresh by replacing him on special teams.
Walker will probably handle the bulk of the carries, and he should have a big role as Sam Darnold continues to nurse an oblique injury. Holani could then take the reins as a third-down, change-of-pace type of back with his big-play potential; he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Seahawks could also turn to Velus Jones Jr. and Cam Akers on the practice squad if they need more depth. Jones rushed six times for ten yards against the Niners after Charbonnet left, and he turned four carries into 32 yards in three regular-season appearances.
Akers, on the other hand, joined the team in late November, and while he didn't log a carry this season, he returned a couple of kicks for 54 yards in Week 17.