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Seahawks clinch NFC's top seed with win over 49ers (1:02)
The Seahawks defeat the 49ers 13-3 to win the NFC West and secure the NFC's top seed. (1:02)
Brady HendersonJan 4, 2026, 07:44 PM ET
- Brady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation and covers the Seattle Seahawks for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2017 after covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM.
The Seattle Seahawks are expecting standout left tackle Charles Cross to return for their playoff run, and now he'll do so with a new contract.
The Seahawks and Cross have agreed to terms on a four-year, $104.4 million extension that includes $75 million in guarantees, a source confirmed to ESPN on Sunday. The deal makes Cross the highest-paid non-quarterback in team history.
Cross, 25, was signed through 2026 after the Seahawks picked up his fifth-year option, which was set to pay him $17.56 million. So, his new contract is for five years and a total of $121.96 million.
The new-money average of $26.1 million makes Cross the NFL's third highest-paid left tackle.
Cross represented himself when he signed his rookie contract, then hired Klutch Sports in 2025.
The Seahawks drafted Cross ninth overall out of Mississippi State in 2022. They drafted right tackle Abe Lucas in the third round that year and gave him a three-year extension this past summer, so they now have the bookends of their offensive line both locked up for the long term.
Cross has started 62 of a possible 68 regular-season games. He missed the last three with a hamstring injury, but coach Mike Macdonald said he's expected to return for the divisional round. The Seahawks secured a first-round bye by beating the San Francisco 49ers Saturday night, which made them NFC West champions and the conference's No. 1 seed.
NFL Network first reported Cross' extension.
