Sam Darnold finally answered for Ernest Jones’ now-viral defense of him, and the Seattle Seahawks quarterback did not sugarcoat how the whole thing felt. Days after Jones unleashed an f-bomb-filled rant backing Darnold following his four-interception loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the quarterback admitted he felt like he had “let those guys down” and called the Seahawks’ locker room one of the best he has ever been in.
The outburst from Jones came after Seattle’s 21-19 defeat in Inglewood, a game that cost the Seahawks sole possession of first place in the NFC West and pushed the Rams into the top spot. Darnold’s four picks wiped out what had been a strong season to that point and instantly became the national talking point.
Instead of joining in the criticism, Jones went the other way — and now Darnold is opening up about how much that support meant.
‘I’m Letting Those Guys Down’: Darnold on Jones Having His Back
Meeting with reporters, Darnold said the worst part of the Rams game was feeling like he had failed his teammates.
“The reason that it sucked for me is because I feel like I’m letting those guys down,” Darnold said. “I feel like a lot of the guys in the locker room feel the same way. That energy. The things that he said meant a lot to me. For a guy to have my back like that.”
Darnold added that Jones’ message didn’t change how he views his own responsibility, but it reinforced his belief in the group around him.
“Again, I know that the guys are going to go fight no matter what the case is,” he said. “I’m going to do everything I can to put my best foot forward and execute at a high level.”
The original clip of Jones defending Darnold — posted by the Seahawks’ official account on X — shows the linebacker passionately insisting the loss was not all on the quarterback and ending with a blunt, “quite frankly, f— you,” aimed at critics.
That video quickly spread across social media and national shows as one of the strongest public defenses of a quarterback by a teammate this season.
Ernest Jones’ F-Bomb Message After Darnold’s 4-INT Loss
Jones’ tirade came after a game in which Seattle’s defense actually held Matthew Stafford to around 130 passing yards and gave the Seahawks a chance late, only for the offense’s turnovers to prove too costly.
In the locker room, Jones repeatedly stressed how well Darnold has played for most of the year, reminded everyone that the quarterback has kept Seattle in “every game” and made it clear that the defense shares the blame.
The linebacker has emerged as the emotional heartbeat of the Seahawks since arriving via trade, racking up big tackle numbers and serving as the on-field signal-caller in Mike Macdonald’s defense.
So when the same leader who runs the huddle on Sundays tells the world, “He’s our quarterback. We’ve got his back,” it sends a strong signal about where the locker room stands.
Why Darnold Says Seahawks Locker Room Is ‘At the Top’
Darnold used his answer about Jones to zoom out and praise the culture in Seattle.
“It’s not every locker room that’s like that,” he said. “I’ve been around some really good locker rooms, some locker rooms that aren’t necessarily as close. I would say this locker room is at the top, for sure. Just the way that everyone comes together and fights for each other. I think it’s evident in the way we fight on Sundays.”
That support matters as the Seahawks head into a crucial stretch with a road game against the Tennessee Titans, followed by matchups with the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons, a run that will help decide whether the Rams loss was a blip or the start of a slide.
For now, Darnold is sitting with the reality of a brutal divisional loss and a viral rant that turned into a show of faith. His message back to Jones and the rest of the locker room is simple: they have his back, and he plans to prove he still has theirs.
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