After moving around quite a bit last season, Ernest Jones IV has finally landed in a comfortable spot with the Seattle Seahawks. The 25-year-old linebacker recently signed a three-year, $33 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. This follows his midseason trade that significantly boosted Seattle’s defense against the run.
Before Jones’s deal, the Seahawks also reached an agreement with defensive tackle Jarran Reed, delivering a strong start to their free agency. Reed’s contract is worth up to $25 million over three years.
To keep himself in top shape, Jones underwent a knee procedure at the end of last season. His agent, Ira Turner, shared that this was a positive step for Jones. “The doctors fixed a knee issue he’s had for more than a year, and he’ll be healthy going forward,” he said on X.
Jones initially joined Seattle after two fast trades last year—moving from the Los Angeles Rams to the Tennessee Titans, and then to the Seahawks. Seattle’s head coach, Mike Macdonald, praised Jones’s fit in the team’s defense, and Jones expressed a desire to stay in Seattle after the season wrapped up.
Originally drafted by the Rams in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones played three seasons in Los Angeles. When the Rams couldn’t finalize an extension, they traded him to Tennessee along with a 2026 sixth-round pick. Seattle acquired him in October 2022 in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick and linebacker Jerome Baker, realizing they had a hidden gem.
With Jones on the field, Seattle’s run defense improved drastically, moving from 29th to 7th in just nine games. He ended his time with Seattle last season with impressive stats, recording 94 tackles, one interception, half a sack, and a forced fumble.
Over four seasons in the NFL, Jones has amassed 458 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss, six sacks, and four interceptions in 63 games. Early in his career, he even helped the Rams secure a victory in Super Bowl LVI, making a sack and two tackles for loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The news of Jones’s new deal was initially reported by NFL Network, highlighting his promising future with the Seahawks.
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