Seahawks still without 2 key players vs. Panthers in Week 17

With a perfect storm, the Seattle Seahawks can clinch the NFC West title and even the No. 1 seed in the NFC in Week 17 when they face the Carolina Panthers on the road on Sunday, Dec. 28.

Even though Carolina (8-7) has been a sub-.500 team since 2018, the Panthers have surpassed expectations in 2025. It won't be a gimme victory for the Seahawks, especially since they'll still be without two key starters.

The Seahawks ruled out left tackle Charles Cross (hamstring) and safety Coby Bryant (knee) for their penultimate game of the regular season, per The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar.

Cross will miss his second straight game, while Bryant heads to the sideline after being injured in Seattle's monumental overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16. The Seahawks will lean on backup tackle Josh Jones and safety Ty Okada to fill the vacancies against the Panthers.

What Cross and Bryant's injuries mean for Seattle's chances

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The good news for Seattle is that it's only two starters who will be out in what has been an injury-filled season for the team.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde have the utmost confidence in Okada, who started nine games at safety while Julian Love was on injured reserve. Okada has totaled 56 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception in 15 games played this season.

When the room is fully healthy, the Seahawks essentially have four starting-caliber safeties between Love, Bryant, Okada and Emmanwori, who has essentially moved to a hybrid linebacker and cornerback position to get him on the field more.

Jones played well enough in Cross' stead in the win over the Rams, but the tackle spots aren't exactly deep. After Jones, the Seahawks only have rookies who have also seen snaps at other positions along the offensive line. It's not an area Seattle wants to dip any deeper into its depth chart.

Darnold was sacked four times against the Rams, but those were from the offensive line as a whole struggling to mitigate the LA pass rush. They should be OK against a Carolina front that has just 25 sacks this season, tied for the second least.

These are survivable losses for the Seahawks. It still won't be an easy win, but the injury report doesn't make it any more concerning.

What Cross and Bryant's injuries mean for Seattle's chances

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