The Seahawks can't afford to lose linebacker Ernest Jones IV in free agency, and it's not just because of his obvious impact on the run defense.

The 25-year-old middle linebacker transformed Seattle’s defense upon arrival in a trade in October. He stands to get a 5x raise.

The Seattle Seahawks are hoping to re-sign linebacker Ernest Jones IV this offseason, but it is far from a slam dunk.

Jones has said he wants to remain with the Seahawks, and the team has expressed that the feeling is mutual. A contract that pays him like a very-good-but-not-elite player at his position can satisfy both parties.

The Seattle Seahawks’ biggest scheduled free agent this summer is undoubtedly off-ball linebacker Ernest Jones IV. Jones was a complete game-changer for Mike Macdonald’s struggling run defense after arriving from the Tennessee Titans in a pre-deadline trade.

Did you know that Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV was getting “locker room cancer” labels and accusations? You probably didn’t until either this article or if you read his social media posts on Friday.