Seahawks picking up option on Charles Cross

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 03: Charles Cross #67 of the Seattle Seahawks defends Byron Young #0 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at Lumen Field on November 03, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks are picking up the fifth-year option on starting left tackle Charles Cross, a source confirmed to FOX 13 Seattle.

The decision was first reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The Seahawks had until May 1 to determine whether they would pick up the option on Cross, which will carry a guaranteed $17.56 million for the 2026 season.

General manager John Schneider was not willing to share their intentions about the option after the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

"I think we'll have until the 2nd. Today is the 26th. It’ll be an exciting day," he said.

Cross played every snap for the Seahawks in both 2022 and 2024 while missing three games due to injury in 2023.

Eleven left tackles across the NFL make an average of at least $20 million a year on their current contracts, with San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams the most expensive at $27.55 million a year.

All draft picks sign four-year contracts with first-round picks having a fifth-year option. That option is valued at the average of the third to 25th highest salaries at their position over the past five seasons, though escalators for playtime time and Pro Bowl selections can raise the value.

He's the first Seattle draft pick to have their fifth-year option picked up by the team since the system went into place with the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Seahawks did pick up the option on tight end Noah Fant in 2022, but he was a Denver Broncos draft pick acquired in the trade of quarterback Russell Wilson.

The Source: The decision on Charles Cross' option was first reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network and confirmed by FOX 13 Seattle.