When the Seattle Seahawks face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in a matchup of two of the best teams in the NFC, all eyes will be on the return of wide receiver Cooper Kupp. However, another member of the Seahawks is a former Ram, and for this player, the game is personal.
Seahawksâ star linebacker Ernest Jones IV played the Rams twice after being traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Seahawks last October. However, he still relishes the opportunity to rub in the Rams’ faces what they gave up.
Last year in two games against the Rams, Jones had 18 tackles, a 0.5 sack, and one tackle for loss in two games against the Rams. For Jones, this isn’t just another game to him.
Personal Vendetta
A battle for the division is already going to be highly emotional, but for Ernest Jones IV, there is an extra layer of animosity.Â
Jones was drafted by the Rams in the third round out of the University of South Carolina in 2021. In his rookie year, Jones started and recorded seven tackles and one sack in the Ramsâ Super Bowl victory. Before the 2024 season, Jones was traded away to the Titans, and he has kept a grudge ever since.
Jones told Mike Dugar of The Athletic in October that he wanted to make the Rams feel the pain every time they faced him.
âItâs a lot personal for me,â Jones says after a year to reflect. âThey gave up on me too early. They gave up on my knee. They thought I wasnât going to be anything. They thought I was going to be dead and out this league pretty soon.â
Since joining the Seahawks, Jones has shown he is far from finished. Last season, Jones had 94 tackles, 0.5 sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble in 10 games with the Seahawks. The Seahawks appreciated his efforts so much that they rewarded him with a three-year, $33 million contract, with $15 million guaranteed.Â
Jones’ Impact On the Seahawks
Ernest Jones IV wears the âgreen dotâ at middle linebacker for the Seahawks. That means he’s the quarterback of the defense, and that’s not an honor that’s bestowed upon just anyone.
Since his arrival last October, Jones has turned the Seahawks’ defense into one of the best in the NFL. Jonesâ teammates have recognized his impact as well.
Ari Horton of Seahawks.com, in her October 23 article on Jones, quoted star defensive tackle Leonard Williams on how Jones leads the defense.Â
âHe’s so comfortable now with just taking control,â Leonard Williams said. âHe sees the offense coming out with a quick tempo. Instead of waiting for the call, sometimes he’ll just get us quick, get us set. Once our cleats are in the ground, it’s like he trusts our team. I think that’s where EJ is doing a good job of just taking control of the defense.â
Jones is the one player with whom head coach Mike Macdonald communicates most on defense throughout a game. Getting Jones back for the biggest game of the season for the Seahawks wouldn’t just be significant for the team, but also for Jones personally, as he gets to enact his form of revenge.Â
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