{"id":764346,"date":"2026-02-20T10:44:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T10:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/764346\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T10:44:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T10:44:15","slug":"charles-cross-opens-up-on-seahawks-approving-his-104m-deal-before-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/764346\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Cross Opens Up on Seahawks Approving His $104M Deal Before the Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2025 season was a season of fortunes for Charles Cross. On Feb. 8 at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, earning the franchise\u2019s second championship. Cross, the starting left tackle, played all 72 offensive snaps, anchoring the line in a dominant performance that capped a 14-3 season and the NFC\u2019s top seed.<\/p>\n

Four years after leaving Mississippi State Bulldogs as one of the top offensive linemen in the country, Cross not only hoisted the Lombardi Trophy but also secured a $100-plus million commitment from the Seattle Seahawks. A Super Bowl title and a historic contract extension, all in the same season.<\/p>\n

Cross admitted the extension carried deep personal significance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot to me,\u201d he revealed on The Insiders. \u201cEver since I got to Seattle, I\u2019ve created a family bond with my teammates, my coaches, and the entire organization. It just means so much to me. Coming from Laurel, Mississippi, all the way to Seattle, Washington, I\u2019m just blessed for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the Seahawks had already exercised his fifth-year option, getting the long-term agreement finalized before the postseason gave Cross security and peace of mind heading into a championship run.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust let me be a part of the team for the long haul,\u201d Cross said<\/a> of what the deal represented. \u201cThe teammates, the coaching staff. I\u2019m just happy to get it done and be a part of this team.\u201d<\/p>\n

With $104.4 million attached to his name, Cross was asked what he planned to do with the money. His answer was refreshingly modest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more of a simple person,\u201d he said. \u201cI like to get a few things here and there, but nothing crazy. I\u2019ve got a good accountant for all that money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than focusing on purchases, Cross emphasized stability and football. The extension, in his mind, was about continuity and continuing to build alongside a young offensive line that includes Abraham Lucas and Grey Zabel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels great,\u201d Cross said. \u201cI\u2019m excited about our team and where we can go. I feel like the O-line group together, we\u2019ve bonded a lot better. Just the camaraderie in the room, guys learning each other, being able to trust one another. One of the biggest things is belief in one another, being able to have each other\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many college players dream of reaching the NFL. Fewer reach the Super Bowl. Fewer still win it while simultaneously securing generational wealth. Cross was the only Mississippi State alum in this year\u2019s Super Bowl and became the 41st Bulldog to appear in the game\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Approved before the playoffs, his $104.4 million deal symbolized the franchise\u2019s belief in him. Weeks later, he validated that belief on the biggest stage, playing every snap and helping deliver Seattle\u2019s second Lombardi Trophy.<\/p>\n

For Charles Cross, the timing could not have been better. And his future in Seattle has never looked more secure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2025 season was a season of fortunes for Charles Cross. On Feb. 8 at Levi\u2019s Stadium in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":764347,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[77],"tags":[7,6,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-764346","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-playoffs","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-nfl-playoffs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116102552939884366","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=764346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/764347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=764346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=764346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=764346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}