South Carolina Football Graduate Lands Lucrative NFL Deal

In a major move for both the Seattle Seahawks and former South Carolina football star Ernest Jones, the linebacker has secured his future in the NFL. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport, Jones has inked a three-year deal worth $33 million with the Seahawks. Following his mid-season trade from the Tennessee Titans to Seattle, Jones is staying put, and this offseason, he will be a key part of the team. Notably, about $15 million of his new contract is guaranteed, pushing him into the NFL’s top-10 highest-paid linebackers, both in terms of total value and annual salary.

The Seahawks’ decision to retain Jones comes as no surprise. After his trade, he quickly made an impact, racking up nearly 100 tackles over the course of just 10 games. Despite missing one week while the trade was processed, Jones still finished the 2024 season ranked 13th in the league for total tackles. Had he been available for that missing week, he likely would have been in the top 10.

Jones played a significant role in the Seahawks’ surge during the second half of the season, helping them win six of their last eight games and turning them from playoff outsiders to legitimate contenders. However, Seattle fell just short of winning the NFC West, losing to the Los Angeles Rams via tiebreaker.

Despite his impressive performance, Jones was once again overlooked for the Pro Bowl, continuing a trend from previous years. His 138 tackles in 2024 came after a career-high 145-tackle season in 2023, a campaign in which he also set a Los Angeles Rams franchise record for most tackles in a single season, despite missing two games.

During his time with South Carolina, Jones earned All-SEC honors and served as team captain. A 3-star recruit coming out of high school, he defied expectations to become a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Widely regarded as one of the top linebackers in Gamecock history, Jones would likely have left an even more significant mark on the program’s record books had he played more than just two full seasons at the college level.