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Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Takeaways: Charles Cross, O-Line Leads Physical Effort

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Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Takeaways: Charles Cross, O-Line Leads Physical Effort


RENTON, Wash. – Though the Seattle Seahawks didn’t set any records for touchdowns in Tuesday’s sixth training camp practice, the offensive line bounced back after getting pushed around a bit in the first padded session, earning coach Mike Macdonald’s victory for the day.

At the center of Seattle’s improved efforts in the trenches, left tackle Charles Cross received the team’s Heavyweight Championship Belt for a stellar afternoon holding his own against Uchenna Nwosu and others off the edge, toting it around after practice over his right shoulder with pride. While Macdonald said the criteria for winning the belt remain everchanging, at the advice of quarterback Geno Smith, the coaches opted to select the third-year lineman after another excellent practice.

“Shoutout to Geno [Smith], the offense won the game and he said give it to an o-linemen and Charles has been having a great camp,” Macdonald smiled. “The belt is something that’s kind of fun, just kind of mix it up and spice it up throughout camp, who’s holding the belt and we can kind of change the criteria of how you challenge it. We’ve got a bunch of them.”

Individually, Cross dominated his pair of reps against standout rusher Uchenna Nwosu during one-on-ones, stymying a bull rush on one snap and following up with a pancake on the defender when he tried to maneuver inside with a speed rip and lost his footing. During a team run period, he helped spring Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet on back-to-back 20-plus yard runs with key blocks on the left side.

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With Cross leading the way, Seattle’s offensive line – which included rookie Christian Haynes at left guard in place of a resting Laken Tomlinson – did a better job protecting Smith and Sam Howell all afternoon, giving the quarterbacks adequate time to scan the field and throw the ball after being under frequent pressure on Monday. Macdonald thought all three line groups also improved at creating push at the line of scrimmage in the run game compared to the previous practice.

“I felt movement up front, especially with the second group” Macdonald said when asked what he liked about Seattle’s offensive effort. “That’s the challenge for the second defense to respond to that. We can’t be getting knocked off the ball.”

With their sixth practice now officially in the books, here are four additional takeaways from the VMAC:

With the foundation of their program still built around competition under Macdonald, no position groups have featured better competitions than receiver and cornerback to this point, and the fact they square off against each other on the practice field has only spiced things up further. Specifically, DK Metcalf has been at the center of epic battles against the likes of Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Tre Brown, leading to plenty of chirping and even some post-play hostility.

After Metcalf and Woolen got into a heated exchange and had to be separated during Monday’s practice, the two former Pro Bowlers kept getting under each other’s skin, starting in one-on-one drills. Working his way back towards Smith on a curl route, Metcalf looked to have an easy completion, only for Woolen to sneak his left arm in front for a pass breakup while drawing a questionable holding penalty from the on-site official, drawing ire from the defender.

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Moments later, Woolen undercut Metcalf on a crossing route and showed off his sub-4.30 speed, reaching in front for another outstanding pass deflection. Overall, the third-year defender got a piece of three passes on Tuesday afternoon and didn’t allow any notable catches, continuing to rebound from a somewhat disappointing sophomore season with a stellar camp.

“I see iron sharpening iron out there when he’s going against the wideouts, especially when he’s on DK,” Macdonald said of Woolen. “Someone that’s on a mission and he’s responded to the coaching and he’s bought in… I don’t want to oversell it right now, but I think you can sense our excitement about him.”

As for Metcalf, even though Woolen got the better of him on several reps, he enjoyed arguably his best day of camp so far. Aside from catching a 30-yard post route, he capped off practice with a highlight reel one-handed touchdown from Smith, somehow managing to break loose from Witherspoon’s tight coverage along the sideline just long enough to snag the ball with his right hand while keeping his feet inbounds.

As typically happens when the pads first come out, Seattle’s defense won the day on Monday in emphatic fashion, dominating at the line of scrimmage and making life tough on Smith and Howell in the pocket, often flushing them out with sticky coverage locking down receivers on the back end. Eager to turn in a better showing in Tuesday’s session, both quarterbacks found a bit of a groove with better protection in front of them and delivered on several long completions.

Continuing to spin the ball effectively to all levels of the field, Smith unleashed a fastball to Metcalf coming open over the middle on a crosser for a long completion after moving his pocket to his left. He later added a pair of well-thrown completions to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, first dropping the ball over the shoulder of Woolen for a 15-yard completion on a slot fade route and then linking up with the second-year wideout down the seam for a 20-yard completion after feathering the ball over the outstretched hands of Nwosu.

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Building off improvements in the past two practices, Howell keeps gaining confidence in Ryan Grubb’s offense by day and executed what would have been the best throw of the day, though it ended up being called back for a sack by Joshua Onujiogu. Stepping up into the pocket, he launched a rocket to the deep post to Easop Winston Jr. in stride, hitting the player right on the hands after he created separation, allowing the receiver to turn upfield for a 65-yard touchdown pass.

Prior to last season, Burns had exclusively been a boundary corner in the NFL, playing a grand total of 42 snaps in the slot in his first five NFL seasons. But he demonstrated unexpected versatility for the Seahawks a year ago, logging 202 snaps inside while producing a pass breakup and allowing no touchdowns in coverage, which may have been the difference for him winning a roster spot.

Fast forwarding to the present, Burns has once again been a pleasant surprise on the practice field, earning the trust of Macdonald and a new defensive coaching staff in the process. Earlier in camp, he intercepted Howell after peeling off of his receiver to snag an underthrown pass at full extension and also produced several pass breakups in the first five practices while mostly playing outside.

On Tuesday, Burns put another feather in his cap as he competes in a deep, crowded cornerback room, receiving extensive snaps in the nickel cornerback spot with Witherspoon and Woolen playing on the outside. Taking advantage of his opportunity, he swatted away a potential touchdown in the end zone from Smith-Njigba, helping the first-team defense keep the offense out of the end zone with three straight incompletions forced.

“There’s a poise about him, a cleanliness to how he’s playing, he’s very smooth,” Macdonald commented. “He’s taken strides from the spring, so we’re excited about Artie. He’s right in the mix and we’ll see how it shakes out.”

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As a boundary-only defender, Burns would likely be facing an uphill battle to make Seattle’s roster. But his added positional flexibility has opened the door for him not only to win a spot, but as evidenced on Tuesday, potentially vie for snaps on defense when Witherspoon isn’t playing inside, creating another intriguing storyline to watch in the secondary.

For most of his rookie season, Hall struggled to consistently pitch in as a contributor for Seattle’s edge rush rotation, particularly as a pass rusher. Aside from failing to produce a single sack, per Pro Football Focus, he only generated 11 pressures and four quarterback hits on 137 pass rushing reps, and he also was docked significantly as a run defender with a dreadful 32.7 grade.

But of Seattle’s second-year players returning, no player has taken the leap forward so far that Hall has, as he looks like a different player in Macdonald’s scheme. Resembling the disruptor who earned back-to-back All-SEC selections at Auburn, he has been a frequent visitor in the backfield as both a rusher and run defender since camp opened, winning with physicality shedding blocks as well as a quick first step to beat opponents as a penetrator.

In Tuesday’s practice, Hall flashed on several snaps during the team session, collapsing the pocket quickly on two different occasions with a powerful bull rush. His best play came against the run, however, as he threw jarring hands off the snap to knock back the opposing tackle before crashing inside to devour Walker for a one-yard loss.

Taking notice of his teammate’s growth, Nwosu raved about Hall’s development, citing his focus and leadership as the two areas where he has improved the most this offseason.

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“He’s hungry, he’s ready to go out there and prove what he can do,” Nwosu said. “From the offseason training he’s put in to now, you can see it out there, he’s more committed than ever. Last year being a rookie for him, he was just going with the flow, listening, and taking the coaching. But now he’s taking the next step leading, teaching the younger guys how it is done, and impressing these coaches more and more.”

Aside from Tomlinson, Leonard Williams also enjoyed a veteran rest day and didn’t practice. After banging his elbow during Monday’s session, defensive tackle Mike Morris also didn’t participate, though Macdonald didn’t sound concerned that he will miss much time. Veteran Dre’Mont Jones missed his third straight practice with a hamstring injury and his status remains uncertain for Wednesday, while rookie cornerback D.J. James returned to practice after sitting out four straight days.



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Seattle, WA

Seattle Leads Nation in Affordable Apartment Production » The Urbanist

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3 hours ago

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January 28, 2026

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Seattle Leads Nation in Affordable Apartment Production » The Urbanist


Bryant Manor was a recent addition in Seattle’s Central District, contributing to the region’s nation-leading total of more than 1,400 affordable apartments built from 2020 to 2024. (Doug Trumm)

Affordable housing production is trending upward across the United States, and Seattle is leading the way. A new report from RentCafe found the Seattle metropolitan area has produced 14,290 affordable apartments over the previous five years, more than any other metro region.

Seattle’s total narrowly edged out New York City, which produced 14,240 affordable apartments in the same time period from 2020 to 2024, and Austin, Texas, which produced 13,342. Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro came in fourth with 10,722 apartments produced, followed by Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, and the “Bay Area.”

Note: San Francisco (along with the North Bay) was broken out a separate category from the East and South Bay Area in this study. Combined, the two Bay Area listings accounted for 16,301 affordable apartments, a total which would have led the list.

RentCafe’s analysis included only apartments in 100% affordable buildings, which does leave out a small subset of the data from mixed-income buildings. The study only counted apartments, not affordable homeownership projects, which also represents a small fraction of overall production.

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With the growth in production, affordable apartments are a growing share of overall apartment production. “Affordable housing for renters accounted for one-quarter of the [Seattle] metro’s total of 59,000 new apartment buildings during this time,” RentCafe’s Florin Petrut noted.

Affordable housing composed 31.7% of overall apartments in New York over the past five years, since the region produced fewer apartments than Seattle. New York’s share trailed only San Francisco, where over a third of apartments were affordable since 2020. San Francisco produced fewer total apartment units than any other top 20 city, while Seattle outpaced the vastly larger New York market by nearly one-third.

Affordable housing production is on the rise in many metro regions across the U.S., according to data from Yardi. (RentCafe)

For some regions the uptick in affordable housing was dramatic, but less so for Seattle, where the five-year time period was up nearly 40% over the previous five years — one of the smallest increases in the dataset. That means Seattle’s affordable housing sector was also the leader over the entire decade, not just the last five years. Metro Seattle produced more than 24,000 affordable apartments over the decade.

Most metros have momentum in affordable sector

On the other hand, if trendlines continue for fast-building metros, Seattle could get its title stolen in the decade ahead. For example, San Antonio’s affordable housing production was up 222%, Phoenix’s was up 206%, and New York City was up 185%. Although, in Phoenix’s case, that still amounted to just 4,626 affordable apartments, which shows how anemic affordable construction had been previously.

A construction project in the heart of Tacoma’s Lincoln District will provide 78 affordable senior living apartments. (Kevin Le)

“Notably, affordable housing is starting to make up a larger portion of all new apartment construction,” Petrut noted. “In 2024, nearly 14% of all new apartments were income-restricted — up from just under 9% ten years earlier — indicating a growing emphasis on affordability in new development.”

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A few regions bucked that trend, and continue to emphasize market-rate apartment development to a large degree. For example, just 5% of the more than 107,000 apartments produced in the Dallas metro from 2020 to 2024 were income-restricted affordable units. The Chicagoland area also produced just over 107,000 apartments, and just 6.6% were affordable. Houston did not even crack the top 20, despite being the sixth-most populous metro in the country.

Affordable housing production has been trending up across the United States. 2024 production more than tripled 2015. (RentCafe)

Nationwide, 2024 was a banner year, delivering 91,000 affordable units, the highest total in decades. “Nearly 310,000 affordable apartments have been built nationwide since 2020, accounting for 12.6% of all new apartment buildings,” Petrut wrote. “Affordable housing construction rose 73% compared to 2015–2019, outpacing overall apartment building growth.”

Part of the credit for the affordable housing surge goes to the pandemic response strategy engineered under President Joe Biden: “The American Rescue Plan has helped move things forward by directing billions of dollars into housing through State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds,” Petrut wrote. “On top of that, many states introduced or expanded their own tax credit programs. These efforts helped developers cover rising costs and move projects across the finish line faster while simultaneously keeping rents affordable for the long term.”

How Seattle invests in affordable housing

Seattle goes beyond many other American cities in directly funding affordable housing production. The City of Seattle is spending nearly $350 million per year on affordable housing, which comes from a variety of revenue sources.

Since the 1980s, the Seattle Housing Levy has augmented affordable housing creation. The 2023 renewal tripled the size of the levy to a $970 million seven-year package, and it passed by a wide margin. At its new level, the levy provides $139 million in annual funding.

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On November 30, New Hope Community Development Institute and LIHI hosted a groundbreaking ceremony that included newly elected Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who made affordability the centerpiece of her campaign. Wilson helped shepherd the JumpStart payroll tax to passage. (Doug Trumm)

In 2020, Seattle also passed the “JumpStart” payroll tax on the largest companies in the city. Initially the revenue stream provided Covid relief, but over the longer-term the tax was intended to focus a majority of investments on affordable housing — at least when mayors and councils aren’t raiding it to plug budget holes and fund pet projects. The payroll tax pulled in $360 million in 2024, but only $142 million of that ended up going to the Office of Housing, a figure which was further cut in 2025.

Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability or MHA program — an inclusionary zoning regime that traded upzones allowing larger apartment buildings for new affordability requirements — also raises affordable housing funds via in-lieu payments from builders who opt out of providing income-restricted homes on-site. As a developer fee, MHA revenue is volatile and varies with the pace of construction activity, which has been slowing recently in Seattle, especially in the office sector. MHA topped out at $74 million in collections in 2021, but has declined since, settling out around $22 million in 2025 and in 2026 projections.

The Seattle Office of Housing’s budget has grown to nearly $350 million, spurred by increase in revenue from the housing levy and the payroll tax. (City of Seattle / BERK)

In 2025, Seattle voters approved another dedicated revenue source, this time focused on social housing. An “excess compensation” tax hitting high earners who make more than $1 million per year is expected to raise more than $50 million annually for the recently launched Seattle Social Housing Developer, which is pursuing a mixed-income model popularized in cities like Vienna.

Other jurisdictions in the region lag far behind Seattle in affordable housing investments, but most are taking strides to boost production. The Washington State Legislature has also steadily grown the size of the state Housing Trusting Fund, setting a new record with $400 million allocated in 2024, which has also helped get more affordable housing projects off the ground.

The Washington State Legislature passed and Governor Bob Ferguson signed a variety of housing measures during the 2025 legislative session, with a focus on both housing supply and stability for existing tenants. (Ryan Packer)

King County has flirted with a billion-dollar bond for workforce housing — although it’s not clear how soon such an initiative could materialize after a study found the County would need to back the bonds with a dedicated funding source or risk its general fund.

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The region’s largest employers — including Amazon and Microsoft — have also made large pledges of housing grants and low-interest loans to aid nonprofit builders. Two top executives at Microsoft and Amazon shared a Seattle Times op-ed byline this week arguing the state “must make it easier to build our way out of the housing crisis” — and touting that “together, our two companies have committed $1.6 billion to preserve and build more than 26,000 affordable homes.”

Growth in affordable housing production has also brought its own problems. By 2025, vacancy rates at affordable apartments in King County had climbed above 10%, which is reportedly threatening to bankrupt some buildings and providers and has already led to bailouts. While demand remains high for low income housing, overproduction in the higher income segments (e.g., around 60% of area median income) has emerged an issue, at least in some parts of the region.

Still not enough

Leading the nation in affordable housing production is a feather in Seattle’s cap, but local housing advocates would be the first to admit it’s far from enough. In 2018, King County’s Affordable Housing Task Force projected that the county would need to add 244,000 net new affordable homes by 2040.

“According to our estimates, we need 156,000 more affordable homes today and another 88,000 affordable homes by 2040 to ensure that no low-income or working households are cost burdened,” the task force wrote. “That means we need to build, preserve or subsidize a total of 244,000 net new homes by 2040 if we are to ensure that all low-income families in King County have a safe and healthy home that costs less than 30 percent of their income.”

To meet the goal would have required a 11,000 affordable homes per year pace, which the region has not met thus far, even with its nation-leading production. To make up for its slow start out of the gates, King County would need to average 15,000 net new affordable homes annually from 2026 through 2040 to meet its target.

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And state leaders are projecting that solving the housing crisis will also take robust market-rate production, setting a target of 1 million additional housing units over the next 20 years, or 50,000 per year. 

More work remains to hit housing targets, and simply outproducing peer cities may not be enough, if Seattle wants to solve its affordability crisis.


A bearded man smiles on a rooftop with the Seattle skyline in the background.

Doug Trumm is publisher of The Urbanist. An Urbanist writer since 2015, he dreams of pedestrian streets, bus lanes, and a mass-timber building spree to end our housing crisis. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in 2019. He lives in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood and loves to explore the city by foot and by bike.



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Seattle Mariners acquire catcher from Twins, DFA RHP Kowar

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15 hours ago

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January 28, 2026

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Seattle Mariners acquire catcher from Twins, DFA RHP Kowar


The Seattle Mariners added depth at catcher by acquiring 29-year-old Jhonny Pereda from the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations.

In a corresponding move, the Mariners designated right-handed reliever Jackson Kowar for assignment to clear space on their 40-man roster.

Drayer: This is an opportunity for M’s fans to celebrate Rick Rizzs

Pereda joins free agent addition Andrew Knizner as potential backup catcher options for Seattle behind Cal Raleigh. The Mariners signed the 30-year-old Knizner to a one-year contract in December.

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Pereda made his MLB debut in April 2024 with the Miami Marlins and spent the 2025 season with the Athletics and Minnesota Twins. The Venezuelan native has appeared in 48 career MLB games, slashing .241/.299/.296 with six doubles.

Pereda was designated for assignment by the Twins last Friday. He has one minor league option remaining.

Kowar, 29, was acquired by the Mariners as part of the December 2023 trade that sent outfielder Jarred Kelenic to the Atlanta Braves.

Kowar missed the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent last season hopping between Seattle and Triple-A Tacoma. He made 15 relief appearances with the Mariners last year, posting a 4.24 ERA with 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 17 innings after being activated from the injured list in late May.

Seattle Mariners news and analysis

• 2026 will be Rick Rizzs’ last season as voice of the Mariners
• Seattle Mariners announce broadcast team for 2026 season
• Reports: Seattle Mariners land top international prospect for 2027
• Mariners have league-high seven MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects
• Seattle Mariners acquire RHP Cooper Criswell from NY Mets

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Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight

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1 day ago

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January 27, 2026

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Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight


SEATTLE – We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening. We have been dry for 14 days now with zero measurable rainfall at SEA Airport. Late Tuesday into Wednesday we could see potential freezing rain at the passes. Winds will be gusty at times Tuesday from the east, then switch to more westerly winds by Wednesday.

Today's Headlines

We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening. 

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What’s next:

We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s, with showers returning by the late evening hours. 

Tuesday's Highs

We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.

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A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday. 

Rain Tuesday

A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday. 

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Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. Strongest winds will be along the coast and north interior. 

Winds Wednesday

Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through.  (FOX 13 Seattle)

Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures. Snow levels will also be high through Friday, reaching 6000 to 7000ft. Forecast is looking a little drier for the weekend, with a few sprinkles still in the forecast for now.

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Seattle Extended

Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures. 

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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.

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