Seattle Seahawks get good news and bad news about two injured players

With one day left before the massive showdown in San Francisco to determine the division and top seed, Mike Macdonald offered up some information about some injured Seahawks that will not be playing this week. Some of this information was positive and encouraging, but some of it was not.

Charles Cross expected back for the playoffs

Let’s start with the good news. Tackle Charles Cross, who got injured on the game-winning field goal by Jason Myers against the Indianapolis Colts a couple games ago, is believed to be on track to play in Seattle’s next game, be it a wild card round game on the road next week, or a divisional round game the following week.

Charles Cross, who starts at the ever-important left tackle position, is wrapping up a crucial fourth NFL season that is likely going to turn into a contract extension this offseason. Seattle chose to exercise the fifth year option on his rookie deal in the offseason, but refrained from extending him.

His play in 2025 has been quite good, showing improvement in his pass protection numbers, although it is worth noting that his grades have been down when compared to 2024. In his absence the last two games, Cross has been replaced by veteran journeyman Josh Jones. Jones has played well, but there’s little doubt this team would prefer their starter.

Cross is a former top ten overall pick from the 2022 draft class who became a day one starter, playing in every game since being drafted outside of a month-long stint on the injury list at the start of 2023 and the last two games. Seattle needs him, and he needs to be on the field when the playoffs start. He has already been declared out tomorrow, so this is a good development.

The last game of Tory Horton's season was also his best. — Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) catches a touchdown pass. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Tory Horton’s rookie campaign likely over

Unfortunately, Seattle did not get equivalent good news on wide receiver Tory Horton, a fifth round pick out of Colorado State who had been making an immediate impact. Catching five touchdowns and returning a punt for a sixth in the first eight games of the year, Horton went down with a shin injury, and a few weeks later hit injured reserve.

There was hope that he could return at some point during this season, but Coach Macdonald threw some cold water on that hope today. According to Macdonald, the team has gotten some recent clarity on his injury and they are no longer expecting him back this season. It’s a disappointing ending for a player that had been a promising part of the early season offense.

“What he has, it just takes a long time to heal. It's really…put it this way, we're planning on not having him. And if something happens, which we're not counting on, and he's able to come back, then that's great. But right now we're planning on not having him," Macdonald said in his press conference. Not quite slamming the door shut, but certainly closing it.

The impact of Horton’s loss has been diminished significantly by the acquisition of Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline. Shaheed has played most of the wide receiver snaps that Horton could have taken since arriving in Seattle, and he’s definitively taken over as the punt returner. So the degree to which this hurts the Seahawks is debatable.

Personally, I suspect that a healthy Horton would be getting twenty snaps a game at most, largely pulling from Cooper Kupp’s share. And in the postseason, where it’s the natural inclination of most teams to trust their veterans over their rookies, that share of snaps might have gone even further away from Horton.

But he was most certainly making a noticeable impact in the first half of the season, and it’s definitely been disappointing to see him not be able to continue to make one in the second half, and that his first postseason will involve him watching from the bench.

Macdonald offered up a few more injury-related tidbits. Josh Jones progressed well over the week, although he remained non-committal on his availability this weekend. George Holani and Elijah Arroyo (who may have a significant postseason role) are progressing towards a return. Coby Bryant did all he could this week and that will continue into next week.

But the definitive positive statement on Cross, as well as the definitive negative statement on Horton, will be the main takeaways as this team prepares for the postseason.

Getting this guy back now looms somewhat large. — Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) warms up. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Charles Cross expected back for the playoffs

Tory Horton’s rookie campaign likely over

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