The Seattle Seahawks arrived at training camp Friday carrying the weight of a Super Bowl victory as the odds are against them this season.
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV still sees a team operating ahead of schedule.
Jones offered a confident assessment as veterans reported to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, telling the Seahawks’ official website that Seattle had picked up where it left off during organized team activities.
“We’re miles ahead,” Jones said. “I think the sky’s the limit for us.”
Jones won Super Bowl LVI as a rookie with the Los Angeles Rams, giving him experience entering a season as a defending champion.
He now begins his second title defense after helping Seattle beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Jones Sees More Room for Seahawks Defense to Grow
GettySAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 03: Ernest Jones IV #13 of the Seattle Seahawks speaks to the media ahead of Super Bowl LX at the San Jose Convention Center on February 03, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Seattle’s defense already set a difficult standard to follow.
The unit finished first in the NFL in scoring defense last season, anchoring a team that won the NFC West and eliminated two division opponents on its way to the Super Bowl.
Jones believes the defense has moved beyond simply learning coach Mike Macdonald’s system.
Seattle can now spend more time expanding it.
The linebacker said Macdonald has challenged the group with new answers for specific offensive matchups. That creates another level to achieve for a defense that lost only one starter during the offseason and returns several players entering their prime.
Jones sits at the center of that continuity.
He joined Seattle midway through Macdonald’s first season in 2024, then emerged as one of the leaders of the defense.
The Seahawks also credited him with helping steady the team during difficult moments, including a four-interception loss to the Rams in November.
His confidence comes with a warning.
Jones said Seattle cannot expect last season’s success to provide any help once games begin.
“Those wins last year won’t help you this year,” Jones said.
His first title came with the Rams during his rookie year, so he has direct view of the attention and expectations that follow a Super Bowl winner.
Seattle will receive the same treatment.
Opponents have spent an offseason studying Macdonald’s defense, and the Seahawks will enter each week as the team others want to knock off.
Seahawks’ Returning Offense Raises the Roof
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 16: Sam Darnold #14 and Mike Macdonald of the Seattle Seahawks watch from the sidelines during a 21-19 Rams win in the NFL 2025 game between Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Seahawks have similar reasons for optimism on offense, where 10 of the 11 starters from the Super Bowl return.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba described the start of camp as a new beginning after winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year and leading the league with 1,793 receiving yards.
His next step will come in the second year of Seattle’s offense with Sam Darnold at quarterback.
That continuity also extends to Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed and the rest of a receiving group that had less time together entering last season.
Smith-Njigba expects a significant jump as the unit builds on a full offseason rather than installing another new identity.
Kupp has seen both sides of the title-defense challenge alongside Jones. The veteran receiver stressed that the league quickly moves forward and teams that celebrate too long can fall behind.
All in all, the Seahawks have a championship roster, a defense that believes it has expanded its reach and an offense returning nearly every starter.
They also understand how little any of it guarantees.
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