Ernest Jones

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Jones’ contract includes $15 million guaranteed. Traded twice last season, Jones finally found a home with the Seahawks, starting 10 games in Seattle last season. The Seahawks defense improved from Weeks 9-18 when he arrived, jumping to fifth in EPA per play during that stretch after ranking outside the top 20 prior to Week 9. Jones underwent offseason knee surgery to clean up knee issues and is now set to return for the middle of Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Jones reportedly had surgery to clean up knee issues he was having last season. He is a pending free agent that the Seahawks have interest in re-signing, but physicals post-surgery may slow down Jones’ free agency process. The 25-year-old tallied 138 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, four passes defended and an interception playing for the Titans and Seahawks last season. Jones became a key starter at linebacker down the stretch, and Seattle may not want to let him leave by the time free agency rolls around.

It was a busy 2024 for Jones, who was traded from the Rams to the Titans before the start of the 2024 season and later traded to the Seahawks just weeks before the trade deadline. The former third-round pick quickly turned into a pivotal player for the Seahawks’ defense, who ranked fifth in EPA per play and sixth in success rate allowed in Weeks 9-18. They were outside of the top 20 in both categories for the first eight weeks of the season. Now set to hit free agency, Jones will have a chance to test the market if he and the Seahawks can’t reach a deal before the start of the new league year. During his end-of-season meeting with the media, Jones said of his impending free agency, “I’m going to be a Seahawk. I firmly believe that.” Seahawks GM John Schneider said “Obviously we want Ernest back,” on a Friday radio hit.