Despite having a 2025 NFL Draft to forget, Mississippi State football has still been an excellent program at producing high-level pro talent for the past 15 years. Offensive tackle Charles Cross was one of the best draft prospects to ever play for the Bulldogs, and he has performed well-enough during the first few years of his NFL career that he's earned a special designation with his team.
Seattle Seahawks exercise fifth-year option for offensive tackle Charles Cross
The Seattle Seahawks clearly love what they have in former Mississippi State Bulldog Charles Cross. Seattle drafted Cross in the first round with the 9th overall pick in 2022 after the left tackle had proven to be a stalwart blindside protector in Mike Leach's Air Raid attack. Cross has been Seattle's starting left tackle in each of his three NFL seasons, and now looking on to year four, the Seahawks want to keep him as their franchise left tackle.
Seattle is exercising Charles Cross' fifth-year option, keeping him locked-in with the franchise through the 2026 season. Cross will make about $17.5 million in fully-guaranteed money in 2026 as a result.
What is a fifth-year option for NFL rookie contracts?
Typical rookie contracts for NFL draft picks last four years. For first round picks, however, teams have the option to extend their rookie deal to a fifth-year. The feature was first introduced as part of the league's 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. If a team choose to exercise a fifth-year option on a player, they lock them in for an extra year at a discounted rate.
This makes first round picks all the more valuable. If you land a franchise player in that round, you can keep them on your roster for cheap longer. Teams must decide whether or not they'll pick-up a player's fifth-year option before that player's fourth season. A fifth-year option deal is fully-guaranteed, and players do see a pay increase (though no where close to that of a second contract) based on their performance to that point.
Charles Cross becomes the first Seahawk to have his fifth-year option picked-up
Interestingly, Charles Cross is the first player drafted by the Seahawks to have his fifth-year option exercised. Seattle made six first round picks between 2011-2020, and none of them lasted longer than four seasons with the franchise.
It's obvious why Cross was the one to buck that trend. The former Bulldog had a breakout season for Seattle in 2024. He posted an offensive PFF grade of 82.5 last season, which was the 10th best of all starting NFL tackles, both left and right. He was the lone Seahawk lineman to grade well, as the unit as a whole was one of the worst in the league.
It makes sense that they'd want to commit to the only strong piece of their line, especially since Cross plays the most important position up front. There's never been a question about Charles Cross' talent, and he's now maximizing it on Sundays.