Former Top 10 Pick is Seahawks Contract Situation to Watch

The Seattle Seahawks’ offensive line was a mess last season, allowing Geno Smith to be sacked 50 times. Across the NFL, only two quarterbacks were taken down more frequently: Caleb Williams (68 sacks) and C.J. Stroud (52).

That’s not to say, of course, that the whole line was bad.

After an inconsistent start to his career, Charles Cross, the ninth overall pick in 2022, emerged as a potential building block at left tackle. Pro Football Focus ranked the 6-foot-5, 311-pound Cross as the 10th best tackle out of 140 qualified players with a 82.5 grade. Furthermore, he was 15th against the run and 16th against the pass, showcasing elite versatility.

Keeping a player of Cross’ stature will presumably be a priority, but the Seahawks still have work to do to on that front. In March, the Seahawks picked up his fifth-year option, keeping him locked in through 2026.

Even so, the Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar said that Cross’ situation bears watching.

“Given Cross’ age (24), position and status as the team’s best player up front,” Dugar said, “signing him to an extension before camp seems like an obvious decision.”

What is Charles Cross’ Value on the Open Market?

Cross’ fifth-year option will pay him $17.5 million in 2026. Compared to similarly aged left tackles such as Tristan Wirfs ($26 million) and Andrew Thomas ($15.9 million), that’s a relatively healthy amount.

Cross has already expressed publicly that he’d like to stay in Seattle, telling the Athletic last month he “wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. … I love the fans here. I love the team. One of the greatest organizations in the NFL.”

That said, money talks, and the Seahawks will certainly have to pony up to keep him satisfied.

Cross was a bit more coy when asked by ESPN about his future.

“I’m just worried about right now, that’s it,” Cross said. “We’ll get to that when that time comes.”

Will the Seahawks Wait to Extend Charles Cross?

With $31.1 million remaining in cap space, per Spotrac, the Seahawks have the financial flexibility to re-up a player of Cross’ caliber.

The Seahawks may want to play it patiently and see if Cross can take another step forward following his breakthrough season. At the same time, by waiting, they risk the cost of retaining Cross increasing to another level. If, for instance, Cross duplicates his performance from last season, he very well could command top dollar.

Wirfs, for instance, signed a five-year, $140.6 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last summer, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in league history.