Josh Jones Remains One Of Seattle’s Most Important Backups

For most teams, losing your starting left tackle for the most important stretch of games would be a catastrophe. Enough to derail a season. So, when that very scenario played out for the Seahawks coming out of their week 15 win over the Indianapolis Colts, it seemed like things could spin out of control for a team vying for the NFC West title.

Josh Comes Through

And yet, with Charles Cross nursing a hamstring injury for the last three weeks of the regular season, Josh Jones stepped in and provided quality snaps at the position. Seattle went 3-0 over those games, and while Jones did allow two sacks and nine total pressures, the dropoff from Cross to him was not significant enough to cost the team in any over-the-top way.

Jones made three good starts for the Seahawks last year. — Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to throw a pass as guards Grey Zabel (76) and Josh Jones (74) block against the Carolina Panthers. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jones did this while playing through injuries of his own, by the way, to the point that his availability was in question for the week eighteen game in San Francisco. He remained a presence on the injury report throughout the postseason, fortunately not being called upon as Cross was able to stay on the field outside of garbage time against the 49ers.

It was quite a responsibility for a player signed as a backup for $4 million after a career as a journeyman across three different teams, mostly playing rather poorly after being selected in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals. Serving as a backup on both sides of the offensive line, Jones benefitted from getting to play on the left side, which seems to be his strength.

Bringing Him Back

Bringing Jones back made a lot of sense. — Seattle Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57) and Seahawks guard Josh Jones (74). | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

It wasn’t particularly surprising that the Seahawks elected to bring him back this offseason, deciding to avoid the risky carousel of finding a capable backup tackle in the draft or at a cheaper free agent rate. What was surprising was that Jones took the same deal he got last offseason, $4 million, in a league where tackles get paid big bucks.

I would have assumed that Jones would either try to parlay his successful run off the bench into a bigger contract, or sign somewhere that might have a starting job open for him. He’s obviously a firm backup in Seattle, and it seems like he’s fine with that. It’s a pretty sweet setup for a team that is already leaving many other things in the hands of unknowns this season.

Minicamp Questions

Josh Jones made be called on again in 2026. — NFL Seattle Seahawks guard Josh Jones | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Jones has been the subject of some scrutiny already this season, as he’s been one of a handful of Seahawks who haven’t practiced yet. Presumably, this was a relic of the injuries he fought through at the end of the season, but then some curious comments from Mike Macdonald implied that it was more of an issue with his fitness level.

Jones has pushed back on this narrative on X, so the truth remains a bit of a mystery. We’ve still got plenty of time between now and the regular season kickoff for Jones to get going, and most of his contract is guaranteed, so it’s not like he’s going anywhere. And if we end up needing his services, he’s already proven himself in a pretty high-stakes circumstance.

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