Safety Nick Cross Lands Back Home With The Washington Commanders
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Apparently, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters knew there were a few talented former Maryland Terrapin football players in the 2026 free agency class, because Peters has now signed his second one of the day.
Former Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross reached an agreement on a two-year, $14 million deal this afternoon.
Cross is now the sixth defensive player that Peters has signed this offseason, as Peters has revamped the defense into a younger, much faster unit on paper than the league's oldest team this past season.
Cross spent four seasons in Indy, improving each year. He posted:
67 total games played in (38 games started), five interceptions (43 yards), 12 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three-and-a-half sacks, 322 combined tackles, 194 solo tackles, 128 assisted tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and seven QB hits.
Cross provides the Commanders with an instant presence in the backfield as a full-time starter, which could mean that Quan Martin could be on his way out of the lineup due to his regression and struggles last season. Will Harris could be the running mate next to Cross out in the secondary, unless another player is brought in through the draft or free agency.
According to Next Gen Stats in 2025, Cross was marked as tied for the most run stops resulting in an unsuccessful offensive play among safeties with 33.
Cross also tied for the 2nd-most run stuffs (10) and run tackles (59) at the position.
Nick Cross tied for the most run stops resulting in an unsuccessful offensive play among safeties last season with 33.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 11, 2026
Cross also tied for the 2nd-most run stuffs (10) and run tackles (59) at the position.@Commanders | #HTTC https://t.co/pXouUVHsnA pic.twitter.com/iIod9PLfvO
Cross also ranked at the top among safeties in 2025 in other key stats listed below:
-97 solo tackles (1st)
-38 stops (2nd)
-3 sacks (1st)
-16 pressures (1st)
-1 INT & 1 FF
Nick Cross gets the end zone INT for the @Colts!
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
INDvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/MONPOBYPBn
What Does Cross Bring To The Table?
One of Cross's most enticing skill traits is his elite speed, which allows him to move downfield and sideline-to-sideline, on top of the physicality that the backfield was desperately missing.
Cross is excellent at playing in the box to fill in gaps and be there waiting on the second level. His speed allows him not only to disrupt plays for a loss of yards but also to cover slot receivers and match up well against tight ends or even running backs out in the flats.
The Commanders ranked dead last among defensive units in 2025, 28th in passing defense (242.5 yards), 30th in rushing yards allowed (141.8 yards), 27th in points surrendered (26.5 points), and 31st in redzone defense (67.7%).
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.