Seattle, WA

New Seahawks LB Ernest Jones Would ‘Love to Be in Seattle’ For Long Haul

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2024

New Seahawks LB Ernest Jones Would ‘Love to Be in Seattle’ For Long Haul

RENTON, Wash. – Being traded during the middle of a season in the NFL comes with plenty of complications. Players have to quickly hitch a flight to begin practicing with their new team and rapidly begin learning a new playbook to ready themselves to play as soon as possible.

But away from obvious job related tasks, as new Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV has now had to experience twice in less than two months, getting traded puts a tremendous amount of stress on the player’s family. That’s especially true for the 24-year old defender and his wife Tyra, welcomed their first child Ernest V before the start of the season and before the Los Angeles Rams initially traded him to the Tennessee Titans in late August, adding another challenge to the equation.

While uprooting his family for the second time in a matter of months has been a mental battle for Jones this week, however, this latest move has the blessing of his wife. Happy to be back in the NFC West playing on the “good side” after playing in Seattle numerous times with the Rams, he’s eager to show what he can do after the Seahawks traded for him on Wednesday with hopes of receiving a lucrative extension and making the Pacific Northwest his long-term home.

“I love to be in Seattle,” Jones told reporters in his introductory press conference prior to Thursday’s practice. “My wife’s happy. She’s back into where there’s a little city vibe, so she’s happy. I’m good and I’m going to do whatever I can to be on this team for the long haul if that’s where they see me and fitting in. From there, we work out everything else.”

In many ways, Jones’ latest change of scenery comes with unexpected perks for an abrupt midseason trade. Aside from joining a Seattle squad currently in first place in the NFC West and in the hunt to win a division title, he expects his transition on the field should be a smooth one playing for coach Mike Macdonald, whose scheme has carry over from the system he played in at Tennessee for defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who worked on Baltimore’s staff with Macdonald last season.

Per Macdonald on Wednesday, Jones will take over as the Seahawks new middle linebacker, while veteran Tyrel Dodson will slide to the weakside linebacker spot left vacant by the departure of Jerome Baker, who was sent to the Titans along with a 2025 fourth-round pick as part of the trade.

In addition, in an instance rarely ever seen in the NFL, Jones will be playing against the same opponent for the second consecutive week, as the Titans lost to the Bills last weekend in his final game with the team and the Seahawks will now host the Bills at Lumen Field on Sunday. While his new team will have some differences in game planning that he will have to adjust to, such circumstances should ease the learning curve having already faced off against Josh Allen and company less than a week ago.

If anything, Macdonald may have the benefit of picking Jones’ brain to help enhance Seattle’s game plan based on what worked well for Tennessee last week, making it a potential win-win for all parties.

“I think it definitely helps with the transition,” Jones remarked. “You got a good idea of what they’re going to come out there and do. You just played them a couple of days ago, so you’re familiar with them. They’re also familiar with you. So correct some wrongs that I had in that game and then go out there and help this team win.”

Now in his fourth season, Jones relishes the chance to take the mantle from future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner in the middle. Having learned from the perennial All-Pro when they played together in Los Angeles in 2022, he wants to not only live up to the standard his former teammate set during his 11 seasons starring in the Pacific Northwest, but he wants to “surpass it” as the new face in the middle for the Seahawks.

Such lofty goals may seem unfathomable given Wagner’s status as one of the best players of his era, but Jones has already proven himself as one of the NFL’s best young linebackers. After eclipsing 100 tackles for the first time while playing alongside Wagner two years ago, he enjoyed a career year with the Rams in 2023, racking up 145 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 33 pressures, 14 tackles for loss, and six passes defensed, helping guide the team back to the playoffs while stuffing the stat sheet.

Though his overall numbers have been down in comparison this season with the Titans, Jones still produced 44 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a pair of passes defensed in six games before learning he had been traded again on Wednesday, playing an integral role in the team currently ranking sixth in rushing yards allowed and fourth in yards per carry allowed through Week 7.

A reliable tackler who can make plays sideline to sideline defending the run while also offering elite blitzing skills as a pass rusher, the Seahawks will be counting on Jones to have a similar impact for their defense, which has struggled mightily stopping opposing run games most of this season. During a three-game losing streak from Week 4 to Week 6, they allowed north of 170 rushing yards per game, with Macdonald citing poor run fits from the second level and missed tackles as the primary culprits for those results.

Based on his prior record, Jones should be able to immediately help with both of those issues. Per Pro Football Focus, he only has missed three tackles in the first six games this season and posted a 7.5 percent missed tackle rate last year, which ranked 13th out of 59 qualified off-ball linebackers. He also earned an elite 90.0 run defense grade, fifth-best at his position.

Confident in his ability between the lines and his presence in the locker room, Jones has wasted little time diving into a new playbook in a new city, excited for the opportunity to prove his worth once again in the heat of a playoff race. With his midseason audition set to kick off on Sunday and much at stake for his family’s future, he’s ready to put everything on the line to help the Seahawks push for a division title and secure a long-term home in the process.

“I’m a dog. That’s what you’re getting. Getting a dog, getting somebody that’s a leader, a true leader. I’m going to go out there each and every week, put my body on the line for my teammates, for this organization, and my family.”

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Seattle, WA

Seeking a House in Seattle for About $600,000

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Seeking a House in Seattle for About 0,000

Ted Land had almost given up on being a homeowner.

When he moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2014, he was an award-winning television journalist, having lived and reported in Indiana and Alaska before arriving in Seattle to work for a local station, King 5. At first, he rented a studio apartment in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

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“It’s very walkable, with lots of transit, very L.G.B.T. friendly, great restaurants, nightlife, parks,” said Mr. Land, 40. “It has everything I like in a neighborhood.”

His journalism career had been fraught with unexpected transitions, so it didn’t seem sensible to buy a home. “I thought I was going to move up and be a reporter in New York City or L.A. or D.C.,” he said. “I had my sights set on that. It really wasn’t even on my mind. Buying a house seemed so out of reach for me.”

As the years passed and he bounced from rental to rental, the hustle of TV news began to wear him out. Finally, in 2022, he grabbed an opportunity to move into corporate communications. With that choice came a higher income and a more stable future in Seattle with expanded living options.

“I kept signing lease after lease, not wanting to confront the daunting process of purchasing, and increasingly frustrated with the fact that I didn’t lock in a low interest rate during Covid like so many of my peers did,” Mr. Land said.

He had up to about $620,000 to spend, but as a single-income buyer, he was vexed by the down payment. “Everyone says that you’ve got to put down 20 percent. It’s like, ‘Where am I going to get $100,000? Does anyone know? Can you please tell me that?’”

With help from his broker, Mark Chavez of Windermere Real Estate, Mr. Land arranged to structure a purchase with 10 percent down using a mortgage insurance that costs him less than $100 per month, with his payments reducing in size until they total 20 percent of the home price. “I mean, $50,000 is a lot easier to save for than $100,000,” he said.

But even with that cushion, options were limited in pricey Seattle, especially for the kind of home he wanted. “Apartments are noisy places,” Mr. Land said. “They just are. And that kind of gets old after a while. I was looking for something a little quieter where I’m not hearing neighbors all the time.”

Most of Mr. Chavez’s clients want single-family homes, the broker said, but “it’s a bigger expense and there’s more to take care of, like the landscape. It used to be that to get into a condo, the entry point was more affordable. However, with many homeowner associations underfunded for future expenses, it is becoming more challenging to buy into a condominium.”

The middle ground? Townhouses. But every square foot needed to count, and location was critical. Mr. Land loved Capitol Hill, but felt he couldn’t afford to buy there. “I just really like being in the central part of the city,” he said. “The more I looked, the more I realized that walkability is a really important attribute for me.”

Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

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Seattle, WA

Huard: Rams’ trade a ‘direct’ response to Seattle Seahawks

Published

15 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Huard: Rams’ trade a ‘direct’ response to Seattle Seahawks

One of the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest rivals delivered the first big shockwaves of the 2026 offseason.

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Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a deal that would send four draft picks to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for All-Pro cornerback and former UW Huskies standout Trent McDuffie, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning.

McDuffie, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Rams, according to Schefter.

Shortly after the news broke, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard gave his reaction on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“This feels like a direct move to match up with JSN and the Seahawks,” Huard said.

Widely considered to be the two best teams in the NFL this past season, the Seahawks and Rams squared off in three epic battles, capped by Seattle’s 31-27 win over Los Angeles in the NFC Championship.

Over those three games, the Rams’ shaky secondary struggled to contain NFL receiving leader and AP Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks star wideout totaled 27 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns across those three matchups, including 10 catches for 153 yards and a TD in the NFC title game.

Smith-Njigba also had a career-high 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Rams in 2024.

“It’s kind of like an old NBA world,” Huard said. “Like, alright, we know we’re gonna have to deal with Jordan or we’re gonna have to deal with Pippen or we’re gonna have to deal with Bird. Like, how do we match up? And (the Rams) know that that was the one area – in their back seven – that could not match up.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player in the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage

• What Brock Huard makes of Seahawks’ Ken Walker situation
• A possible replacement if Seahawks don’t re-sign Walker
• Huard: Jobe is most likely free agent the Seattle Seahawks re-sign
• Report: Seattle Seahawks not tendering restricted FA Jake Bobo
• The Seattle Seahawks’ risks with Walker set to be free agent

Follow @CameronVanTil

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Seattle, WA

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup hit a milestone Tuesday, approximately 100 days from the start of the global soccer tournament, which is being played this time in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Seattle is one of 16 host cities for the tournament, with the first game at Lumen Field scheduled for June 15.

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City leaders at a press conference on Tuesday described specific changes underway to welcome an estimated 750,000 people during the six matches, from adding new artwork in downtown to bolstering security.

“Our aim is actually to revitalize, reinvigorate, rejuvenate the downtown core,” Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee CEO Peter Tomozawa stated.

People who take a trip through downtown Seattle will see that part of that work has started in anticipation of the World Cup, with 53 colorful paintings on the columns of the monorail, showcasing the flags of the countries of the competing teams.

“In just 100 days, people will come back to Seattle and will be using the system to travel back and forth to various events related to [the] FIFA World Cup,” Seattle Monorail Services Megan Ching said.

“The visitors who are coming here for the World Cup are already booking their trips: where to stay, how to get around and what to explore,” added Jorge Gotuzzo with Visit Seattle.

Darkalinos restaurant hopes the events planned for Pioneer Square will convince new customers to return beyond the tournament.

“The summer season is what keeps us going,” General Manager Crystal Hernandez told KOMO News. “We’re going to have a beer garden in the plaza. There will be some live music outside.”

Behind the scenes, work continues to plan for crowd control and security. That means round table meetings and partnerships at the international, federal, state and local levels.

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“We’ve been working on the security plan for over three years,” Tomozawa explained. “We hired former SPD Chief John Diaz to design the plan and I have to say this is one of our highest priorities, for sure.”

Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes adds that businesses are eager to build on the success of the recent Seahawks Super Bowl parade. He said there will be watch parties for the matches at Westlake, Pacific Place and along the waterfront.

“Seattle’s a big event town, and we can do it well and produce a lot of joy for hundreds of thousands of people,” Scholes stated.

The World Cup Organizing Committee mentioned Seattle’s walkability makes it a great location for the tournament. It’s why they also announced a new walking path to connect multiple neighborhoods that will stay beyond the summer.

Seattle to host 4 free FIFA World Cup 2026 fan celebration venues starting June 11

It’s called the Unity Loop, runs about four-and-a-quarter miles and will connect the stadiums, waterfront, Seattle Center, Westlake and the CID, but no specifics were provided.

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