Ernest Jones isn’t just having a breakout year - he’s becoming the heartbeat of a Seattle defense that’s quietly turning into one of the league’s most disruptive units. And after what he did against the Minnesota Vikings, the rest of the NFL is officially on notice.
Jones was everywhere in the Seahawks’ dominant shutout win, and his stat line tells the story: 12 tackles, two interceptions, and one house call - an 85-yard pick-six that marked the first of his career. That performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, and it’s hard to argue with the selection. Jones didn’t just show up - he took over.
Yes, Vikings rookie quarterback Max Brosmer made some ill-advised throws, but Jones made him pay for every mistake. His instincts were sharp, his reads were quick, and when the ball was in the air, he attacked like a receiver. That kind of awareness and ball-hawking ability is exactly what Seattle hoped for when they pulled off the midseason trade to bring him in from Tennessee.
Let’s talk about that deal for a second. General manager John Schneider sent a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Titans - a pick that turned into tight end Gunnar Helm and linebacker Jerome Baker - in exchange for Jones.
At the time, it looked like a solid depth move. Now?
It’s looking like one of the best value trades of the season.
Since arriving in Seattle, Jones has been a tone-setter under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald. He’s a perfect fit in Macdonald’s aggressive, fast-flowing defensive scheme, and his production backs it up. With 83 tackles on the year - more than 20 ahead of the next closest Seahawk - he’s not just leading the team, he’s leading by example.
And then there’s the takeaway factor. Jones now has five interceptions this season, tied for second-most in the NFL.
Only Kevin Byard III, a safety, has more. To put that in perspective, Jones had just four picks in his entire career before this year.
Now he’s racking them up like a seasoned ballhawk.
What’s most impressive is how seamlessly he’s transitioned into a leadership role on a defense that needed a spark. The Seahawks have been searching for that next-level playmaker in the middle of the field - someone who can clean up in the run game, drop into coverage, and make quarterbacks think twice. Jones is checking all those boxes and then some.
This isn’t just a hot streak. It’s the emergence of a player who’s finding his stride in the right system, at the right time, for a team that’s making a serious push. If Jones keeps playing like this, he won’t be flying under the radar much longer - he’ll be anchoring a defense that could be a problem for anyone come January.