The Seahawks may have stumbled into one of their best business moves of the Mike Macdonald era when they locked up Ernest Jones IV last offseason, and Jordyn Brooks’ new deal with Miami only sharpens the contrast.
Brooks, who left Seattle in March of 2024, signed a 3-year, $26.25M contract with the Dolphins that included about $16M guaranteed. Seattle responded by trying Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson in the middle of the defense before eventually swinging a trade for Jones, sending a relative pittance to the Tennessee Titans for the former NFC West rival.
At the time, the move drew some wild comparisons to the kind of deal Macdonald made for Roquan Smith while with the Baltimore Ravens. That was never a fair apples-to-apples comparison.
Jones needed a little time, but he did what Seattle wanted him to do: help the defense settle in and take a step forward. The Seahawks wanted him back in 2025, and after free agency opened without a new agreement in place, he still ended up returning on a 3-year, $28.5M contract with $15M guaranteed. In other words, Seattle got Jones on a deal that now looks even better next to Brooks’ extension.
And Brooks’ new contract is a big one: 3 years, $51.3M with $35M guaranteed. He does have Jones beat in most of the box-score categories, with interceptions the obvious exception, and he earned First-Team All-Pro honors while leading the NFL in tackles in 2025. But the price tag changes the conversation fast.
Is Brooks really worth roughly twice as much as Jones? That’s a tough sell, especially with Jones bringing a Second Team All-Pro nod, five interceptions, a season-saving F-Bomb, two Super Bowl championships, and the kind of leadership Seattle clearly values. He’s also just over two years younger than Brooks.
For the Seahawks, the timing mattered. Getting Jones locked in last offseason now looks like a clean win, and Brooks’ new contract makes that decision stand out even more.
In Other News...
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For Seahawks fans, the appeal is less about secret football intel than about getting a feel for the people and the tone around the building. After years of one very recognizable coaching identity, this is a chance to see how Macdonald presents himself when the cameras are rolling and how the roster responds to him in a setting built to reveal personalities as much as preparation. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Add Brandon Johnson As Harrison Bryant Becomes First Camp Cut
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Another Seahawks Assistant Is Suddenly Drawing Outside Attention
The Seahawks have already seen one assistant climb the ladder this offseason, with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak leaving for a head coaching job with the Raiders. Now another member of Mike Macdonalds staff is getting a fresh look from the outside, as Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic pointed to defensive coordinator Aden Durde as one of the leagues more intriguing coaching names after the work he has done in Seattle.
Durde still has not drawn the kind of head coaching buzz his reputation might suggest, even after a season that has put him on the radar of evaluators around the league. Rodrigue also noted special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh as another promising assistant with a strong coaching background and recent success in Seattle, a reminder that the Seahawks may be building more than just a good staff for the moment. [Read more 🡒]