The Seahawks will be without starting left tackle Charles Cross when they host the Rams on Thursday night, the result of a hamstring injury that Cross suffered on the game-winning field goal in Sunday’s game against the Colts.
Cross, Seattle’s starting left tackle since he joined the team as a first-round pick in 2022, has missed only six of 68 games over the past four seasons, and with Cross unavailable, Seattle will turn to veteran swing tackle Josh Jones, who will be making his first start as a Seahawk.
“I’m ready,” Jones said Friday. “I’ve been in the league a little while. It’s just football.”
Jones, a third-round pick in 2020, signed with the Seahawks this offseason after spending the past five seasons in Arizona, Houston and Baltimore. He has appeared in 87 games in his career, including 11 this season, with 24 starts, most recently starting three games for the Texans in 2023. Jones started 21 of 34 games for the Cardinals in 2021 and 2022, playing both right guard and left tackle.
“It feels like a long time, but preseason helped with that,” Jones said when asked about the last time he started. “It has been a minute, but I’m super excited and looking forward to it.”
One thing that should help Jones and the offensive line is the fact that he got extensive first-team work alongside left guard Grey Zabel during training camp and the preseason, working with the starters while Cross was recovering from surgery to repair a dislocated finger.
“We’ve been working since then until now, so we’ve been grinding this whole time,” Jones said.
Said Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, “He got most of those opportunities in preseason, and he did a great job filling in for Charles when he was going through his training camp stuff. Just like everything else we’ve had guys that have had opportunities throughout the season, and this is no different. He’s got a great opportunity. He’s prepared. Go out there and play your tail off, let’s go roll.”
