‘Everything I Said, Stood On It’: Ernest Jones Sets Leadership Standard for Super Bowl-Bound Seahawks
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) dives for a first down against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) during the second half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images [/caption]
It must be very difficult for a defensive unit to maintain their composure when they are dominating, yet the offense continually falls short. They say football is the ultimate team game. The defense can dominate and yet the final score will still show their team losing, and vice versa.
For lesser locker rooms and weaker team cultures, things might have boiled over and out of control after the Seattle Seahawks’ defense played so well against the Rams in Week 11 in Los Angeles, yet came up short losing 21-19 at SoFi Stadium.
However, in this locker room, with Mike Macdonald at the helm, things are much more buttoned up. The team is selfless and has perspective. You will never hear a Seahawks player throw a teammate or coach under the bus publicly at the microphone. In fact, quite the opposite.
After a game where the defense held the mighty Sean McVay offense to 249 yards and forced a turnover, one of the defensive leaders went to the microphone and went to battle for his quarterback that threw four interceptions, which certainly led to Seattle’s demise in L.A. Linebacker Ernest Jones didn’t hold back.
“Sam has had us in every (expletive) game. For him to sit there and say it’s his fault, no it’s not. … If you got anything to say quite frankly (expletive) you.”
Strong words to the critics of Seattle’s quarterback from one of the team’s most respected leaders on the other side of the ball. You don’t normally hear that kind of raw (and explicit) defense of a team’s quarterback that seemed 100% genuine. This wasn’t a cookie-cutter answer. This was a projection of what the entire team felt about Darnold.
And if that wasn’t initially the team’s feeling about Darnold, it certainly was after Jones went on the offensive in his postgame comments. The team responded. Surely, Darnold felt defended, even if he didn’t need it personally. That kind of sentiment can go a long way in the locker room.
Fast forward to a chilly, clear Sunday evening in late January. The Seahawks played that same Rams team with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Seahawks haven’t lost since then. Riding an eight-game winning streak since Jones’ bold words, Darnold and the Seahawks slayed the demon and beat the Rams 31-27 to get to the Super Bowl. Darnold was not merely a spectator either. He tossed for 346 yards and three touchdowns without a single turnover, becoming the first quarterback to achieve that feat in a playoff game in franchise history.
Darnold’s teammate, a defensive player no less, backed him up when the world was closing in on him in Week 11. And now, Jones’ words turned prophetic. The Seahawks are a complete team. They are the exemplary team when thinking of “complementary football.” The offense, defense, and special teams all showed up in their run to making it to Super Bowl LX.
Jones certainly took a well-deserved victory lap after the game.
“Everything that I said, stood on it,” Jones said with a victory cigar in tow. “Sam had like what, 300-something yards? Hoopin’. Sam’s a baller. Like I said man. Doubt Sam if you want to, Sam’s going to show up every time.”
That doesn’t happen without the culture created in the Seahawks locker room. Jones has been a leader and worth every penny of a three-year, $33 million contract he signed ahead of this season. Not only is he a vocal leader, supporting his quarterback even if many other defensive players in the same situation would be extremely frustrated. But also, he is putting his money where his mouth is. He is 13th in the NFL in tackles, including the postseason. He led the team with 126 tackles and intercepted six passes, the most of any linebacker in the NFL.
That production earned Jones Second Team All-Pro honors. He completely changed the complexion of the defense when he arrived in a midseason trade with the Titans last season. Last night, he was dancing on the field as the Seahawks defeated the very team that drafted him and later traded him away, enjoying every second of it as the Rams headed towards the tunnel with their season over.
But it’s likely that Jones’ teammates and coaches care far more about the leadership he brings and the unwavering support of his quarterback, when so many outside the VMAC had written Darnold off or labeled him a failure. Jones knew better. And now he looks like the genius.
