TJ Harden’s path to the Seahawks comes with a familiar name attached to it: Zach Charbonnet.
That connection traces back to the 2022 Sun Bowl, when Charbonnet sat out to prepare for the NFL draft and Harden got his shot for UCLA. He made it count.
In a tight game against Pittsburgh, Harden ripped off 111 yards on just 11 carries and punched in an eight-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left to put the Bruins ahead. It wasn’t enough in the end - Ben Sauls followed with a 47-yard field goal and Pittsburgh escaped with a two-point win - but it was the kind of performance that put Harden on the radar.
Now Seattle is hoping there’s more where that came from.
The Seahawks signed Harden to the roster this week as they continue sorting through options behind and around Charbonnet, who is still working back from the ACL he tore in January. Seattle also has other backs in the mix, including rookie Jadarian Price, who looks like the type of runner who can fill the Kenneth Walker role in 2025 with his quickness and agility in camp drills. But if the Seahawks want a sturdier, inside runner to handle the dirty work, Harden fits that bill.
At 232 pounds, Harden brings size that stands out even in a room that already includes Emanuel Wilson and Jacardia Wright, both in the 220-pound range, plus George Holani, who checks in around 210 and runs with plenty of force of his own. Harden isn’t the kind of back who’s going to blow past defenders, but he has consistently made his living by grinding out yards between the tackles.
That was true at UCLA, where he flashed big-play efficiency in limited work. While Charbonnet was piling up 1,359 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven yards per carry in 2022, Harden quietly turned 44 carries into 325 yards and a 7.4-yard average. The next year, he shared the backfield with Carson Steele and finished with 827 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and a 5.3-yard average.
2024 was a rough step backward for the program under new head coach DeShaun Foster and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and Harden’s numbers reflected that. He still led the team in rushing, but it was easily his least productive college season.
A transfer to SMU gave him a reset. Last year, Harden bounced back as a power runner, scoring nine rushing touchdowns and adding one more as a receiver. He also had put on size since his freshman days, further cementing his reputation as a tough, physical back.
Even so, the draft didn’t call. Harden went undrafted last April, signed with the Browns and was released just a few days into camp.
Seattle moved quickly to bring him in, but making the roster won’t be simple. The Seahawks already have several backs who have spent all summer in the building, and some have been around the team for years. Still, Harden has a history of stepping into a role after Charbonnet moves on.
And with Charbonnet currently a pending free agent in 2027, that history could end up mattering again.
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