The Seattle Seahawks will be missing some key players as they try to stay atop the NFC against the Carolina Panthers.
Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald announced that they will lose starting left tackle Charles Cross and safety Kobe Bryant. The Panthers game was the second straight game Cross has missed after suffering a hamstring injury that could end his regular season against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Josh Jones, a versatile offensive lineman who signed with the Seahawks in the offseason, will start in Cross’ place for the second straight week. Jones played his first significant snap for the Seahawks last week against the Los Angeles Rams and did not allow a sack against a hungry Rams pass rush.
With Kobe Bryant gone, the Seahawks will once again look to Ty Okada for help. Bryant suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the second half of the Rams’ game and not practice at all this week.
Okada has played a big role for Seattle this season, helping the team when safety Julian Love is out for the first half of 2025. He totaled 58 tackles and made a perfect catch against the Washington Commanders for his first career interception.
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The good news for the Seahawks is that Bryant and Cross are the only starters with injury concerns after receiving positive news about Rick Woolen and Nick Emmanvory earlier this week. It feels like 2013 all over again as the Seahawks take the NFC’s top seed to Carolina on Sunday.