Seahawks, LT Charles Cross Agree On Extension
As Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross missed his third game in a row with injury, he and the team were able to agree to a new extension. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Seattle and Cross have come to terms on a four-year, $104.4MM extension. The deal pays out $40.5MM in the first year and included $75MM in guaranteed money. 
The deal comes with little surprise. When Cross expressed his interest in an extension in the weeks leading up to his fourth season in the NFL, the Seahawks shut down any notion of that occurring during that time. The team had been operating under the notion that they don’t extend contracts that have more than a year left on them, and after Cross’ fifth-year option was exercised last April, the then-24-year-old still had two years left on his slate. As soon as one of those years was finished and Cross had only one year left, Seattle couldn’t even wait 24 hours to extend their blindside blocker.
The new contract makes Cross the fifth-highest paid offensive tackle (per annual average value) in the NFL behind Rashawn Slater, Tristan Wirfs, (right tackle) Penei Sewell, and Trent Williams. Perhaps more impressive, Cross’ contract is the largest for a non-quarterback in franchise history, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Cross is more than deserving of the new deal. Since getting drafted by the Seahawks at No. 9 overall in 2022, Cross has started in all but six games (consisting of two three-week absences). He established himself as one of the best tackles in the league last year as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him out as the ninth-best player at his position last year. He followed that up with a ranking at 27th out of 87 this year.
Though three of those six career absences have consecutively come in the past three weeks due to a hamstring injury, Cross is expected to be back in the lineup for the playoffs. Luckily for Cross and the Seahawks, the team’s victory over the division-rival 49ers secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, so the 25-year-old will have a little extra time to work his way back to the field. They’ve clearly decided to be productive with the two weeks they have until their next game as they checked one thing off the offseason checklist nice and early.
NFL Injury Updates: Seahawks, Packers, Olave, Hall
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold heads into Week 18 with a game that could cement his team as the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second season in a row. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he’s also looking to earn up to $1.5MM in incentives by throwing for at least 150 yards and three touchdowns and raising his passer rating (99.2) to 100. Unfortunately, he’ll be doing so without a few key pieces.
Starting left tackle Charles Cross has missed each of the team’s last two games, and according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, he’ll be out for Week 18, as well. Backup swing tackle Josh Jones has played well in Cross’ absence these past two weeks and will be relied upon again in a winner-take-all matchup with the 49ers.
Curtis Crabtree of FOX Sports adds on that, although rookie fifth-round receiver Tory Horton is eligible to be activated off injured reserve, he is not expected to play again this season. The shin injury that’s kept him out since early November has likely ended his rookie campaign. Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters, “The best way I can describe it is just, what he has, it just takes a long time to heal…we’re not planning on having him.”
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Packers head coach Matt LaFleur gave updates on the two defensive backs recently placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Both safety Zayne Anderson and cornerback Nate Hobbs suffered injuries in the team’s home loss to Baltimore. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur told the media that he didn’t anticipate either player being able to return in time for the playoffs, so both players were put on IR to make room on the 53-man roster for players who can contribute in the postseason.
- Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was a surprise scratch for the team’s regular season finale. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, a blood clot was detected in Olave’s lung, though it was caught early, “before anything bad could happen,” and the 25-year-old will be fine. ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that Olave has no prior history with blood clots and that the injury should sideline him for about four weeks before he’ll be ready for any offseason activities.
- The Bills are locked into a wild card slot in the playoffs, though their exact seeding is still up in the air. They should have a fairly easy Week 18 matchup against a tanking Jets team, but they’ll be going into it without rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. A fourth-round pick out of Kentucky, Walker has stepped up as a starter for nearly all of his rookie year as Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders, Jordan Phillips, Larry Ogunjobi, and DaQuan Jones have all missed time at different points of the year.
- Speaking of the tanking Jets, already without quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, New York has also now ruled out running back Breece Hall, according to Schefter. This means Hall may have already played his final game in a Jets uniform, as the 24-year-old is set to hit free agency at the end of the season. According to Rich Cimini, also of ESPN, the Jets are expected to at least attempt to retain him, but Hall may be tempted to test the market. Cimini doesn’t rule out that franchise/transition tags may enter the picture. With all the absences on offense, the Jets starting group will be led by Brady Cook at quarterback, Khalil Herbert and Kene Nwangwu at running back, and John Metchie III, Adonai Mitchell, and Isaiah Williams at receiver. Per Cimini, starting cornerback Brandon Stephens will miss the Jets’ final game of the season, as well.
- The Ravens have a win-or-go-home game tomorrow night against the division-rival Steelers, but they will be heading into the matchup without wide receiver Rashod Bateman after ruling him out for the weekend. Bateman missed practice all week with illness and will not travel to Pittsburgh.
Seahawks T Charles Cross Could Be Out Until Playoffs
In anticipation of tomorrow’s matchup between the two teams with the best record in the NFC, the Seahawks’ final injury report delivered some disappointing news. During the team’s game-winning field goal over the Colts last week, left tackle Charles Cross suffered a hamstring injury, and as a result, he will miss this week’s Thursday night game. To make matters worse, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Cross’ injury could hold him out for two to four weeks.
To be clear, the team has not corroborated Rapoport’s estimate. Per Seahawks.com senior reporter John Boyle, head coach Mike Macdonald told the media that they do not have a timeline on Cross’s return. The fourth-year starter hasn’t practiced at all this week, though, and on a short week, there’s just no way he was going to be able to play after a hamstring injury. If Rapoport is correct, though, Cross could miss the remainder of the regular season.
Starting in Cross’s place will be veteran swing tackle Josh Jones. A former third-round pick out of Houston, Jones started 21 games over his second and third years with the Cardinals. The next year, he was traded to the Texans, with whom he started three games. That was back in 2023, and it was the last time that Jones started a game in the NFL.
He signed with the Ravens last year to back up the oft-injured Ronnie Stanley and rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten but didn’t end up getting utilized that much. Luckily for the Seahawks, though, Jones got a good amount of playing time with the first-team offensive line during the preseason as Cross worked his way back from finger surgery.
This injury could hurt Cross’ chances at an extension that he’s been really pushing for this year. Seattle has exercised his fifth-year option, so he’s under contract through next season, but the Seahawks have repeatedly made it known that any potential extension isn’t happening this year. While the time off for injury gives Cross plenty of time to try to negotiate, the reason for his time off likely won’t help him in those discussions.
In reality, Cross’ focus will be on making it back to the field as soon as possible. Whether Rapoport’s report is accurate or not, Seattle is in the thick of the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and every game counts. Getting Cross back for an all-but-certain playoff run is paramount but getting him back even sooner could be extremely beneficial.
Extension For Seahawks LT Charles Cross Not Happening This Year
The Seahawks only really got their roster set to start the 2025 NFL season today, but general manager John Schneider already found himself fielding questions about extensions for players set to become free agents next year. Those questions mostly pertain to members of Seattle’s 2022 draft class, but the top pick from that class, left tackle Charles Cross, will not be signing an extension this year, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. 
Cross has started all but three games at left tackle since the Seahawks made him the ninth overall pick in 2022, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the ninth-best offensive tackle in the NFL last year, so it seems safe to say that Seattle will want to extend Cross. The reason he won’t be considered for a deal this year is because the Seahawks “don’t extend deals with more than a year left,” and with the team exercising Cross’ fifth-year option, the 24-year-old has two years left on his rookie contract.
When considering Cross’ 2022 draft classmates, Schneider offered a different perspective (per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic), saying, “We love our guys, and we’ll keep working with them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And if it doesn’t, you just have to move on to the next guy. We won’t ever stop trying to do that.”
Unfortunately for Cross, that doesn’t seem to apply to him until next year. Multiple times this summer, Cross has expressed his desire to remain in Seattle long-term just to be shut down due to the timing. At some point, the Seahawks will come to the table Cross continues to wait at with an offer. They’ll just have to hope that waiting to get a deal done doesn’t raise the price tag to an unattainable number.
Charles Cross Seeking Seahawks Extension; LT Undergoes Finger Surgery
2025 marks the first year in which Charles Cross is eligible for an extension. The Seahawks’ left tackle said in June he would be interested in a long-term pact, and that stance has not changed.
[RELATED: Recapping Seahawks’ Offseason]
“I want to be in Seattle for my career,” the former first-rounder said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “That’s something I always thought of and wanted for myself. Hopefully we can get something done and it’ll go that way.”
Cross noted during those remarks that extension talks have yet to take place between his camp and general manager John Schneider, who agreed to another new Seahawks pact last week.. Plenty of time remains for a deal to be struck, of course. Seattle made the easy decision to pick up the Mississippi State product’s fifth-year option last spring. As a result, Cross is on the books through 2026 with a scheduled $17.56MM in compensation for that season.
A multi-year pact will cost much more considering the upward movement in the tackle market. Recent days have seen three notable pacts worked out for blindside blockers, including Rashawn Slater receiving a record-breaking Chargers pact. His new Bolts deal carries an average annual value of $28.5MM. Bernhard Raimann (Colts) and Kolton Miller (Raiders) have also inked deals north of $20MM per season. A total of 14 tackles are now at or above that AAV figure.
Cross will no doubt look to join that group on his second contract. The 24-year-old has missed only three games to date in his career, and in 2024 he received a top-10 PFF grade at his position. A new pact for right tackle Abraham Lucas – who has only one year remaining on his deal – may be seen as a more urgent endeavor for Seattle in spite of his injury issues. In any case, Cross’ case will be an interesting one to watch whenever extension talks begin.
In more immediate news, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Cross recently underwent surgery to repair a dislocated finger. The issue had been lingering, per Henderson. Given the timing of the procedure, a full recovery in time for Week 1 is expected. It remains to be seen if any traction toward a long-term contract will have been made by that point, however.
Seahawks Holding Starting C, RG Battles; Grey Zabel A ‘Sure Thing’ At LG
Injuries forced the Seahawks to rotate through several different offensive line groupings in 2024. By the end of the season, they had surrendered the third-most sacks in the NFL while generating the fifth-fewest rushing yards.
Seattle will be hoping for a healthier, more consistent season from the unit in 2025, starting with stability at offensive tackle. Charles Cross is entering his fourth season as the team’s starting left tackle while Abraham Lucas seems to have put his knee issues behind him on the right side.
First-round pick Grey Zabel “appears a sure thing” at left guard, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. He took all the first-team reps next to Cross during spring practices, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Selecting the North Dakota State standout with the 18th overall selection in April’s draft was a clear sign that the Seahawks envisioned him starting as a rookie. The only question was where after Zabel primarily lined up at offensive tackle in college with some time at guard and Senior Bowl reps at center. He has landed at left guard in Seattle with minimal competition for the starting gig, as 2024 sixth-rounder Sataoa Laumea has been working with the second-team.
The Seahawks’ starters at center and right guard remain up in the air. In spring practices, Olusegun Oluwatimi split first-team center reps with Jake Sundell, though the former should have a leg up on the latter. In 2024, Oluwatimi started Seattle’s last eight games at center, while Sundell only played 57 offensive snaps all year as an undrafted rookie.
New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called the right guard battle “wide open” (via team reporter John Boyle). First-team action in the spring was split between last year’s Week 1 starter Anthony Bradford and 2024 third-rounder Christian Haynes. However, head coach Mike Macdonald indicated that Sundell and Laumea could factor into the right guard competition depending on how other spots shake out.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a two-man race right now,” said Macdonald (via Condotta). “It’s more open.”
As always, OTAs and mandatory minicamp offer a strong idea of what a team is planning for the season, but as Macdonald noted, the real test will be when pads come on during training camp. That will give the several players competing for the center and right guard jobs a chance to separate themselves as starters heading into the season.
LT Charles Cross Hoping For Long-Term Seahawks Tenure; No Extension Imminent
Charles Cross has handled left tackle duties throughout his three seasons in Seattle. His performance in that role made it little surprise when his fifth-year option was exercised this spring.
That decision marked the first time the Seahawks picked up the option on a player they drafted. As a result, Cross is set to earn $17.56MM in 2026. That figure is guaranteed, but a long-term deal will cost more given the nature of the tackle market.
It remains to be seen if team and player will enter into negotiations on an extension as early as this offseason. The parties have plenty of time to work out an agreement, but Cross – who attended and took part in OTAs and minicamp – would welcome a long-term pact. Remaining in the Emerald City beyond 2026 is a stated goal of his.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but Seattle,” Cross said when asked about his future (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). “I love the fans here. I love the team. One of the greatest organizations in the NFL. I like it here a lot.”
Selected ninth overall in 2022, Cross has started each of his 48 appearances. Having missed only three games to date in his career, the 24-year-old has certainly enjoyed better luck on the health front than right tackle Abraham Lucas. The latter has missed double-digit games each of the past two years, making an extension commitment a difficult one for the Seahawks. Lucas is a pending 2026 free agent, so working out a new deal in his case could be seen as a more urgent matter if Seattle is content to wait until at least next offseason to negotiate with Cross.
The Mississippi State product has shown notable year-over-year improvement in terms of PFF grades. Cross posted an overall mark of 82.5 in 2024, good for ninth amongst qualifying tackles. Another strong outing this year would help his value on a long-term arrangement. A total of 15 offensive tackles (including 12 blindside blockers) are currently attached to a deal averaging $20MM or more per year, and Cross will no doubt look to join that group on his second NFL contract.
It will be interesting to see when serious talks on a long-term pact begin in this case (it should be noted Cross now has an agent for the first time in his career). Regardless, his preference would be a long-term stay in Seattle rather than a foray into free agency following the 2026 campaign.
2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:
- Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
- One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
- Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position
We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:
- DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
- DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
- CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
- CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
- T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
- T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
- WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
- T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
- WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
- WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
- WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
- DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
- S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
- G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
- WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
- G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
- WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
- T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
- QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
- CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($13.63MM): Exercised
- LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
- CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
- G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
- C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
- DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
- LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
- DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
- G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
- DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
- DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
- S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A
* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025
Seahawks Exercise LT Charles Cross’ Fifth-Year Option
The Seahawks are making a bit of history with their fifth-year option decision. They will exercise Charles Cross‘ 2026 option, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, moving into uncharted territory for a team draft pick.
This is not the first time the Seahawks have exercised a fifth-year option, as they moved Noah Fant‘s rookie contract to five years previously. But Fant was a Broncos draftee; Cross will be the first Seahawk pick to have his option exercised.
[RELATED: Seahawks Select G Gray Zabel In First Round]
Fant and Cross were each part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster three years ago, with the tight end being one of three veterans sent over and Cross being one of the five draft choices sent Seattle’s way in the swap. Cross and Devon Witherspoon were the first-round pick the Seahawks made with the choices obtained in the Wilson trade; Witherspoon’s fifth-year option cost has already risen thanks to his two Pro Bowl nods. Cross has not ascended to that level at his respective position, but the former No. 9 overall pick will still see a nice 2026 guarantee as a result of Monday’s move.
This transaction will lock Cross into a $17.56MM salary guarantee for 2026. Cross having not made a Pro Bowl makes him eligible for the third option tier, which covers players who have established themselves as regular starters. Cross, 24, has started 48 games in three seasons. This includes perfect attendance in 2022 and ’24.
As right tackle Abraham Lucas has dealt with steady injury trouble, Cross has only missed three career games. The reliable left tackle, who had been closely linked to the Giants going into the 2022 draft, has moved onto the Seahawks’ extension radar. The tackle the Giants ultimately took at No. 7 that year, Evan Neal, saw his option declined Saturday night. Cross joined a Seahawks team that had both been missing a cornerstone left tackle for years, since Russell Okung‘s departure, and one that did not have a 2022 first-round pick prior to the Wilson trade (thanks to the Jamal Adams deal).
A team still making option history in 2025 is rather alarming, as the Seahawks had passed on its other first-rounders’ options since the first wave of option calls emerged in 2014. The team declined fifth-year options on James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Penny, L.J. Collier and Jordyn Brooks. This is a long-running trend, but the Wilson trade helped the team move in the other direction. Fant played out his rookie contract and signed a two-year, $21MM deal in 2024. It will cost far more for the Seahawks to extend Cross.
The lack of a Pro Bowl on Cross’ resume may leave him without a real case to become the NFL’s highest-paid LT, as Tristan Wirfs holds that title (at $28.13MM per year). Cross would stand to see his price rise toward that point, however, with a strong 2025. The Seahawks have no significant O-line commitment on their books, and the cap continues a steady rise. The NFL’s salary ceiling has climbed by a staggering $71MM since Cross came into the league. He profiles as the Seahawks’ top extension candidate right now, though Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be in that mix come 2026.
Latest On Seahawks’ Offensive Line
Though the Seahawks’ path forward at offensive tackle seems secure, the team has lots of questions to face concerning the interior line. The situation should lead to a few position battles worth watching this summer. 
At offensive tackle, the situation is simple: 2022 first- and third-round picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are set to continue manning the starting spots they’ve held since their rookie season. The only questions mark here comes with Lucas’ health, after the 25-year-old missed all but six games last year as he struggled to come back from offseason surgery on his shoulder. Even if either player misses some time, Seattle brought back a former tackle of theirs in George Fant after four years away from the team. Most recently, Fant started 13 games for the Texans last year and should provide an improvement to the backup options utilized last season in Seattle.
At guard, the team inked veteran free agent Laken Tomlinson, who should slide into the starting job at left guard. At right guard, the Seahawks return Anthony Bradford, who started 10 games as a fourth-round rookie last year. The team also utilized a third-round selection this year to draft UConn’s Christian Haynes, who played exclusively at right guard throughout college. Bradford wasn’t a world-beater last year, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him as the league’s 62nd-best guard out of 79 graded players, so Haynes will likely be given every opportunity to compete for the starting job opposite Tomlinson. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times points out depth guard McClendon Curtis as another under the radar option. Though listed on the roster last year as a tackle, he’s now listed at guard, where he started 30 games in college.
The real questions come at center, where the Seahawks have stacked up a number of inexperienced options. Currently, the depth chart holds Nick Harris, Olusegun Oluwatimi, and Mike Novitsky. Harris, a 2020 fifth-round pick for the Browns, only started four games over the course of his rookie deal, though he earned plenty of snaps on special teams or on overloaded lines in Cleveland. Oluwatimi started one game as a rookie fifth-round pick for Seattle last year, though he also got plenty of special teams experience. He also played over half the team’s offensive snaps in two other games last season. Novitsky is a long shot to make an impact in this conversation. An undrafted rookie out of Kansas, Novitsky doesn’t trail the others much in experience but lacks the drafted pedigree.
Three spots are generally set: Cross at left tackle, Tomlinson beside him as left guard, and Lucas opposite the two at right tackle. You could even say four spots are set, if you decide to count Fant’s job as a swing tackle. At right guard, Seattle knows Bradford can handle the job, if necessary, but they will hope that competition with Haynes will either push Bradford to improve or reveal a better option in Haynes or even, possibly, Curtis. Center is where things remain dire. The team may strike gold in the three unlikely options they hold, but external additions may be on the horizon if no one takes hold of the starting job convincingly.