The Seattle Seahawks came out of last night with one of the few real drawbacks being the exit of Charles Cross late in the fourth quarter. The follow-up today brought the kind of update teams hate to hear: Cross has a high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks.
That timeline comes with a big asterisk. High-ankle sprains usually linger longer than a quick two-week window, and that estimate sounds optimistic.
There may be some belief that this one is less severe than the standard version, but the expectation here is that he could miss the next three games. After that, Seattle has a bye, and the schedule turns to some weaker defenses.
For now, the Seahawks have a capable answer in Josh Jones, who will slide in at left tackle while Cross recovers. Jones handled a stretch of games late last season and held up well enough for Seattle to keep moving. He is not Cross, but he gives them a chance to stay afloat.
The concern is what sits behind Jones. Right now, Seattle does not have a true backup left tackle on the roster behind him.
Jones was the only reserve tackle they were carrying for both sides. On the practice squad, Bobby Hart is still a right tackle by trade, while Logan Brown had a rough preseason and does not appear ready.
That makes it easy to see where this could go next: the Seahawks probably need to add a tackle from free agency in the coming days. Nothing flashy, just someone with experience who can line up on the blindside and keep the depth chart from getting even thinner. It likely won’t be a name that jumps off the page, but the team can’t afford to keep pressing forward this light at tackle.
The bigger frustration is what this does to the offensive line’s chance to settle in. Seattle made a clear bet this offseason on continuity, keeping all five starters from 2025 and retaining the offensive line coach. The idea was simple: lean into cohesion and let familiarity carry the unit.
Instead, that plan has been hard to fully use. Anthony Bradford played in the opener, then missed the next five games.
He returned last night and gave the line a noticeable boost, but now Cross is set to miss time too. The hope is that once Cross is back, the Seahawks can finally get a run of weeks to build the continuity they wanted all along.
Even with the line looking better last night, the next few games could still get messy.
In Other News...
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For a game that will be remembered in Seattle for the result, it also produced a strange side story that quickly took on a life of its own online. A viral photo from the game showing a person in bright clothing drew a wave of social media reactions, turning a regular game-day image into the kind of mystery fans could not stop talking about. [Read more 🡒]
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For Indianapolis, the timing of the trade says plenty about where things stand with the deadline approaching and how aggressively the Colts are willing to deal established talent. Nelson is in the final year of his contract, so Seattle is getting a proven starter with no long-term certainty attached, while the Colts turn a premier blocker into future draft capital and leave open what comes next as the market keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks May Have Found A Defensive Weapon Opponents Can't Match
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Mike Macdonald and several teammates have already pointed to Emmanworis versatility as a real asset, and the best part for Seattle is that this is still early in the season. He is back from ankle surgery and has already logged meaningful snaps in a variety of roles through six games, which gives the Seahawks a lot to work with as they keep sorting out how to deploy him. The intriguing part now is less about whether he can fit in and more about how far they can push that role as the year goes on. [Read more 🡒]