Less than two weeks before the regular season started, the Los Angeles Rams made a sudden trade, sending linebacker Ernest Jones, their top tackler and defensive leader, to Tennessee for a small upgrade in a late-round draft pick for 2026.
Coach Sean McVay described the trade as a “football decision” at the time. Now, two months later, with the Rams still missing a linebacker like Jones, McVay is being more open about the unexpected move and its impact on the team.
“I think all the decisions that we make in the moment, we feel like are in the best interest,” McVay said Wednesday. “I’m not going to pretend to act like every decision is accurate, and you try to be able to learn from it and apply it moving forward.
But you know that you’re playing against a really well-respected player. Mentally, physically tough. Seems like he’s always around the football. So I wish him well. It’s going to be a great challenge going against him.”
Jones will face the Rams (3-4) this weekend in Seattle, where he ended up after another trade. The struggling Titans received a better return for Jones compared to what Los Angeles got when they moved one of their key defensive players after failing to agree on a contract extension, instead of letting him finish the last year of his rookie deal.
A third-round pick who made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2021, Jones learned for a year under Bobby Wagner in 2022 and quickly became one of the top tacklers in the NFL while also performing well in pass coverage. He recorded 145 tackles last season, leading the Rams and ranking 11th in the NFL.
The Rams’ choice to let Jones go was surprising for many reasons, especially since they did not have a clear replacement for him, a player from their Super Bowl championship team.
Jones’ role has been taken over by Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom, who both worked their way off the practice squad and into starting defensive positions over the past five years. While both players are reliable, neither has Jones’ skills. Smart offensive coordinators and quarterbacks have found success this season in targeting them, especially when they are in pass coverage.
McVay has supported Reeder, who took over Jones’ role as the defensive leader before going on injured reserve earlier this month, but the coach acknowledged that Jones is on a different level.
“I’ve been pleased with some of the things that guys have done,” McVay said about Jones’ replacements.
“It’d be hard to deny the production that (Jones) has had, when you look at what he’s done at Tennessee and even just in his first week there last week (with Seattle). He’s a great player, and he did a lot of good things for us.”
In his debut last week, Jones made an impressive 15 tackles while playing every snap for the Seahawks. He will have significant responsibilities again when Seattle (4-4) faces the Rams in an important NFC West game.
Jones became a leader during his three years on the Rams’ defense, and former coordinator Raheem Morris relied on him to keep the defense organized on the field. He was also well-liked in the locker room.
“I know who he is as a player,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Physically, really talented. Mentally and emotionally, really gifted. Loved being a teammate with him.
Have a ton of respect for who he is as a person and as a player. I don’t think there’s any disadvantage or advantage. I just know it’s a challenge going against him.”
