Right now, things are going according to plan for the Seattle Seahawks. They hold a 13-3 lead, have the ball in scoring range, and there are less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, the positive vibes of the moment were momentarily halted when Charles Cross exited with an injury. He walked off, but the severity of the injury is to be determined.

The Context

The star tackle, who was given a nine-figure contract extension last year, has been off to a strong start to 2026, if perhaps not quite perfect. Without him, Josh Jones takes the field, a position that he’s succeeded in before, and held his own last year for the Seahawks when Charles Cross missed a few weeks near the end of the season.

The Seahawks were able to score a touchdown to extend the lead to three scores without him, and with less than four minutes remaining now it's unlikely the team needs Cross to return, even if he can. This is one position where the Seahawks can feel relatively secure in their depth. However, Cross is a staple on a line that is just trying to get continuity back after Bradford's injury.

The Situation

Cross looked to be in some pain and discomfort as he came off the field and onto the sideline. Whether that makes the injury serious is unknown as of now, but we likely won't find out until tomorrow at this point. Seattle may need to go to the practice squad for a week or two to give themselves some depth. Logan Brown is a frontrunner.

Again, the real issue is in the broken opportunity to continue to build familiarity with the offensive line all playing together. That is the main thing this unit has going for it, but so far they've had very limited opportunities to gel together because of injuries. Anthony Bradford was out from week two to now, and the Seahawks replaced him with a rotation of guards.

Next Up

The Seahawks are about to run out the clock on a victory, so again, there's no real reason for Cross to go back in. Josh Jones is more than good enough to handle the responsibilities of the last few minutes of this one. But ultimately, this offense has little chance to be what it can be without Cross playing, and playing well.