Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said his viral message to Rams receiver Puka Nacua was about one thing. Protecting his quarterback. Speaking Tuesday on the Rich Eisen Show after Seattle’s Super Bowl win, Jones explained why he fired back online when he saw Nacua mock Sam Darnold during the championship game.
Ernest Jones Continues To Protect His Quarterback Sam Darnold
The moment began when Nacua posted a laughing emoji that included Darnold’s name while the Seahawks were closing out their title. “😂 sam darnold,” Nacua wrote, apparently mocking Darnold for his struggles in the big game.
Jones saw the post on his phone amid congratulatory messages and responded with a blunt reply: “Ain’t you at home. Goofy a**”. As the post quickly spread across social media, he said the reaction was instinctive.
“Honestly, I mean, it was crazy to me. One thing about me, and I’m gonna stand on this, you know, I don’t, don’t, don’t say nothing about my teammates,” Jones said. “Nothing. And then you talk about my quarterback, I’m not going for it. So I get on my phone and people are texting me telling me congratulations, and this pops up. And I’m the ultimate, ultimate teammate. Don’t say nothing about my guys.”
Darnold’s Super Bowl night was far from his best, yet enough for Seattle to coast to victory. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions, and a 74.7 passer rating. Seattle leaned on defense and field position to outlast New England.
Jones’ loyalty to Darnold had been visible earlier in the year after a loss to Los Angeles, when he publicly defended the quarterback amid criticism. The rivalry with the Rams added fuel to the latest exchange, especially given how much Nacua had challenged Seattle’s secondary during the season. Nacua’s play against Seattle this season made the matchup personal long before the social media moment.
In the Week 16 regular-season game and the NFC Championship combined, he finished with 21 catches for 390 yards and three touchdowns, including a 12-catch, 225-yard performance in December and a nine-catch, 165-yard score in the postseason. Those numbers showed why he graded as PFSN’s top-ranked receiver in the WRi metric. Seattle’s defense is ranked No.1 in PFSN’s DEFi metric.
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The late-season victory over the Rams helped Seattle secure the NFC’s No.1 seed and home-field advantage. Weeks later, the Seahawks beat Los Angeles again in the NFC Championship.
Jones framed his response as an extension of that competitive history. Seattle finished the year with a Lombardi trophy. Jones, the ultimate teammate, will keep protecting his quarterback off the field and chasing opposing quarterbacks on it.
