A quarterback's best friend is the teammate who is willing to stand up at the podium or in front of the post-game locker room cameras and publicly state his support and his allegiance. No position on an NFL team comes under more scrutiny than the quarterback, and Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold knows that.
Darnold has faced extreme scrutiny for the majority of his career, but the tides have shifted over the past two seasons, especially during the Seahawks' Super Bowl run last year. That said, even during last season, which continued Darnold's career turnaround, the eight-year veteran still caught some flak from the media.
What was evident through all of it, though, was that Darnold had those behind him who had his back after every game; Ernest Jones IV was one of those players. Jones went to bat publicly for Darnold more than once last year, and with a new season set to begin, the two-time Super Bowl winner isn't changing a thing when it comes to his support for his quarterback.
Sam Darnold can rest knowing that his Seattle Seahawks teamate Ernest Jones IV will fight for him always
Jones is one of the anchors on the Seahawks defense; a prime example of an on-field, vocal leader. Bringing Jones back to Seattle last offseason was one of many exemplary moves made by John Schneider, and it paid off in so many ways; it's still paying off today.Â
The Seahawks are testing their waters at training camp, which is set to conclude next week. Seattle Sports has been there to capture the sights, sounds, and voices of the Seahawks players daily, and Jones was one of the more recent guests on Seattle Sports 710 AM's Wyman & Bob show to talk Seahawks culture, Mike Macdonald, and what it feels like to get stopped in grocery stores.Â
Jones' comments about his head coach further showed how much respect Jones has for Macdonald, which is a shared view among the rest of the team. Still, it was what Jones said about Darnold that showed the brotherhood that every quarterback needs in his career when the radio hosts reflected on Jones' famous media quote coming to Darnold's defense last season.
"...me and Sam, we've always had a relationship as enemies...once he became my teammate I just looked at his work, man," Jones said. "Sam came in head down and just led our offense. In that moment I wouldn’t allow my quarterback or any of my teammates to feel like all the blame should be on them...Sam's my dog, Sam knows I got his back, and these guys know if they ever need someone to come fight with, just call me, I'm coming, I'm coming."
Darnold couldn't be in a better football situation than he is now in Seattle. It's the best franchise he's been a part of, the best head coach he's ever had, and the teammates he's surrounded by are the right type of guys who breed loyalty and support. For someone like Darnold, who's been in the thick of things all his career, Jones is exactly the type of supporter he needs.Â
This season could have some ups and downs for Darnold like last year, but look at how it ended. A championship. The Seahawks brotherhood is real, and you can hear it and feel it through sit-down conversations like Jones's. It's proof there's something in the Seattle waters, because their culture is superior.Â
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