The star linebacker will not have a contract extension for a little while longer at least.
Seattle Seahawks fans were greeted Saturday afternoon with the pleasant news that negotiations with soon-to-be free agent linebacker Ernest Jones IV are now on pause.
Jones’ arrival nearly single-handedly resurrected good defense in Seattle. His stated intention has been to remain with the team, as has been the Seahawks’, specifically from Mike Macdonald.
So what gives?
Despite being less than ideal, this is possibly no news. I take issue with the final sentence of Ian Rapoport’s messaging. Not having a deal at this moment does not necessarily preclude Jones from signing something before start of official free agency, nor does it indicate Seattle will simply join in a bidding war with the rest of the league.
That sentiment seems not to be shared by some fans, clearly revealing the distrust towards John Schneider.
If Schneider lets Ernest Jones walk, he’s going to lose whatever faith this fanbase still has in him. https://t.co/wBjRV4kx78
— Noah Peterson (@noahdpeterson) January 4, 2025
Very doom and gloom of me but John Schneider has to get fired if he makes a midseason trade for Ernest jones, then just lets him walk
— Sugar Rice & Skittles (@i_shoot_RAWs) January 4, 2025
Bruh wtf you doing John. Resign this man
— Tay (@12tando) January 4, 2025
John Schneider is a fucking clown. Pay the guy. Changed the entire defense https://t.co/Mjt4vpjBv5
— Ryan (@RyanKing702) January 4, 2025
And so on it went, to the tune of “John Schneider” becoming a trending in the Seattle area on the afternoon of January 4th.
If I may….
Calm down.
Situationally, Ernest Jones is in the exact position that Leonard Williams was with Seattle in 2023. Mid-season trade, desired by the front office to retain, yet remained unsigned until the early days of March. Williams then signed his 3-year deal on March 11th, during the legal tampering period, as official NFL free agency began on March 13th. Seattle has an exclusive negotiating window with Jones (and its other unrestricted free agents) from now until March 9th.
I suspect three things are true in this situation:
- This is not negligence on Schneider’s part;
- This is driven far more by Jones’ agents than by Seattle;
- This is consistent with recent trends (one part of which I will admit is not ideal!) that the Seahawks do gain confidence by allowing some numbers from other teams to come in to inform their final contracts.
Not signing Ernest Jones actually makes less sense than not signing Williams’ last year, as he is younger, the linebacker depth is even worse than DT was in 2023, and linebacker seems especially prickly under Macdonald. Jones excelled in a notable way this year and there’s no way they want to throw that away.
So it is news, kind of.
But let us also rejoice in the early arrival of the season of News That Isn’t Really News.