The Seattle Seahawks are approaching the May 1 deadline to decide on picking up 2022 No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross' fifth-year option. When speaking to the media on Monday, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said they still haven't made up their minds.
Cross has been the best — and healthiest — offensive lineman on Seattle's offensive front since he was drafted. But he hasn't necessarily met all of the expectations of a top-10 pick, likely giving the team pause on whether they want to pick up the option, try and re-sign him to a new deal, or let him test free agency.
"We'll answer that at a later date," Schneider said, according to ESPN's Brady Henderson. They have less than 11 days to decide, or 2025 could be Cross's final season with the Seahawks.
The fifth-year option for Cross is projected to be $17.56 million, per Over The Cap. Presently, that would make Cross the 14th highest-paid left tackle in the league on an annual per-year basis, albeit just for one season. By the time 2026 rolls around, however, he would surely be lower than that.
Cross and 2022 third-round tackle Abraham Lucas are the longest-tenured offensive linemen on Seattle's roster. Lucas has dealt with injuries that have limited his availability the past two seasons, starting 29 of 51 possible games since he was drafted. Cross, on the other hand, has started 48 games since also becoming a starter as a rookie.
Seattle has multiple extension decisions to make soon regarding its 2022 draft class. Edge rusher Boye Mafe, running back Kenneth Walker III, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen and Lucas will all be players the team might want to bring back beyond 2025. None of them have received extensions yet.
At this point, the Seahawks' recent history of retaining offensive linemen has been brutally bad. Many of their past draft picks simply haven't worked out, but it's hard to imagine Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald will be able to improve from Cross at left tackle — at least not immediately.
The Seahawks would be better off retaining Cross by any means necessary and putting supporting talent around him. Stability along the offensive line is equally as important as having quality players filling the positions.
