Ernest Jones IV Bio
Ernest Jones IV (born November 22, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks before being selected in the 2021 NFL Draft and has since developed into one of the league’s most productive young inside linebackers. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Jones has built his reputation on consistent tackling, coverage range, and on-field leadership.
After beginning his career with the Los Angeles Rams, a brief stop with the Tennessee Titans, and a midseason trade to Seattle, Jones now anchors the middle of the Seahawks defense on a multi-year contract. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 233 pounds, he has accumulated 584 career tackles along with 9 interceptions and 6.5 sacks through the 2025 season.
Early Life and Background
Ernest Jones IV was born on November 22, 1999, in Waycross, Georgia, where he grew up and attended Ware County High School. Waycross, a small city in southeast Georgia, became the backdrop for his earliest football development, and he quickly emerged as one of the most productive high school defenders in the region.
As a senior at Ware County High School, Jones recorded 112 tackles with six tackles for loss, two sacks, and three forced fumbles, earning first-team Class AAAAA recognition. His performance drew scholarship offers from several college programs, including Georgia Tech and Duke, before he ultimately committed to play at South Carolina.
Path to American Football
Jones enrolled at the University of South Carolina and joined the Gamecocks as part of the 2018 recruiting class. He quickly carved out a role on defense, appearing in five games as a freshman and recording 16 tackles along with a forced fumble while adjusting to the speed of the Southeastern Conference.
In his sophomore season, Jones became a full-time starter and led the Gamecocks with 97 tackles, signaling his arrival as one of the conference’s most reliable linebackers. Going into his junior year, he missed most of preseason camp due to an appendectomy, but he returned to lead the team again with 86 tackles, including five tackles for loss. After that junior campaign, Jones decided to forgo his senior season and declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Ernest Jones IV Career
Early Career (2021)
The Los Angeles Rams selected Ernest Jones IV in the third round with the 103rd overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract with the Rams on July 22, 2021, and entered training camp as a backup inside linebacker behind veterans Kenny Young and Troy Reeder.
Jones was elevated into the starting lineup after the Rams traded Young prior to Week 8 of his rookie year. He finished the regular season with 61 tackles, one sack, four passes defensed, and two interceptions across 15 games and seven starts, despite a late-season high ankle sprain that sent him to injured reserve in late December.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2021–2023)
Activated for the NFC Championship Game in January 2022, Jones contributed two tackles as the Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20–17. In Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jones made his first Super Bowl start at inside linebacker and recorded seven tackles, one sack, and a pass defensed in Los Angeles’s 23–20 victory, earning his first championship ring.
During the Rams’ 2022 voluntary minicamp, Jones changed his jersey number from 50 to 53 and went on to finish the season with 114 tackles, one interception, two passes defended, and one forced fumble. In 2023, he became a full-time starter, playing 15 games and leading the team with 145 tackles while continuing to grow into a defensive cornerstone.
Tennessee Titans (2024) and Seattle Seahawks Era (2024–Present)
Prior to the 2024 season, the Rams traded Jones to the Tennessee Titans along with a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick. He played six games for Tennessee and produced 44 tackles with two pass deflections before the Titans dealt him midseason.
On October 23, 2024, Jones was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebacker Jerome Baker and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. He stepped directly into a starting role and played 10 games for Seattle, finishing with 94 tackles, half a sack, one interception, and a forced fumble. On March 11, 2025, Jones signed a three-year, $33 million extension with $15 million guaranteed, cementing his place at the heart of the Seahawks defense.
Notable Events and Milestones
In Week 13 of the 2025 season, Jones delivered one of the signature performances of his career, recording 12 tackles, two pass breakups, and two interceptions, returning one for an 85-yard touchdown in a 26–0 win over the Minnesota Vikings, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. On February 8, 2026, Jones won Super Bowl LX with the Seahawks against the New England Patriots, tallying 11 tackles, including 10 solo stops, in the championship victory to claim his second Super Bowl ring.
Ernest Jones IV Career Wins
Across his professional career, Ernest Jones IV has compiled two Super Bowl championships, capturing Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks. He has been a full-time starter since 2022 and has produced at least 100 tackles in each of his last three full seasons while contributing nine career interceptions.
Los Angeles Rams Highlights
During his time with the Rams, Jones developed from a situational rookie into a defensive leader. He won his first Super Bowl in just his first season and posted a career-high 145 tackles in 2023, anchoring a Los Angeles defense that leaned heavily on his instincts in the middle of the field.
Seattle Seahawks Highlights
Since joining Seattle midseason in 2024, Jones has quickly become a foundational piece of the defense. He earned Second-team All-Pro recognition in 2025 and capped the year by winning Super Bowl LX, capping a three-win run through the NFC playoffs and the championship game.
Ernest Jones IV Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ernest Jones IV grew up in Waycross, Georgia, supported by a family that nurtured his athletic development from an early age. His rise from a multi-sport high school athlete to a third-round NFL Draft pick was rooted in the steady environment of his hometown and the work ethic instilled during his upbringing.
Personal Life
Jones is a Christian. He married his high school sweetheart, Tyra, in September 2023, and the couple welcomed their son, Ernest Jones V, in July 2024. His family life has been closely tied to his football journey, with his wife and son often featured alongside his on-field milestones.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Ernest Jones IV’s first full year as a centerpiece of the Seattle Seahawks defense following his midseason 2024 trade and March 2025 contract extension. He earned Second-team All-Pro honors and delivered consistently high-level play, finishing the regular season among the team’s leaders in tackles while also contributing in coverage and as a blitzer.
One of the defining moments of his 2025 campaign came in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings, where his 12-tackle, two-interception performance, including an 85-yard pick-six, earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. That outing showcased the complete skill set that made him a priority free agent re-signing for Seattle’s front office.
Jones carried that momentum into the postseason, helping lead the Seahawks through the NFC playoff bracket and into Super Bowl LX, where his 11-tackle effort helped Seattle defeat the New England Patriots for the championship. With a contract that runs through 2028 and a defense built around his leadership, Jones enters the coming seasons as the unquestioned heart of the Seahawks’ linebacker corps.
