On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a three-year extension with Pro Bowl safety Julian Love, potentially worth up to $36 million, according to his agents.
The Seattle Seahawks brought in Julian Love from the New York Giants with a two-year, $12 million contract last offseason. Impressed by his performance after just one year, they decided to extend and increase his salary.
After spending four seasons with the New York Giants, Love intercepted a team-high four passes with the Seahawks, despite splitting time at safety with Jamal Adams.
Julian Love's performance with the Seattle Seahawks
Love played all 17 games, finishing second on the team with 123 tackles. Additionally, he recorded 10 pass breakups and forced two fumbles.
His performance last season earned him his first Pro Bowl selection and secured a spot at No. 95 on the NFL's Top 100 Players of 2024 list.
Love's interception in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns led to a game-winning touchdown drive, and he also caught two passes during the fourth quarter of a 20-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15.
Earning a new contract
The “up to $36 million” figure doesn't provide a precise average annual value (AAV) for Love's contract. However, if he manages to reach the full contract value, his $12 million AAV would rank as the ninth-largest for a safety.
With only one year left on his contract, extending him long-term was a logical move for the Seahawks to prevent him from becoming too expensive after another strong season.
No further details about the contract were immediately released. The Seahawks often use extensions to reduce the cap hits for the current year, which they might have done with Love's deal. With just $8.48 million in cap space, the Seahawks were among the teams with the least flexibility.
The contract was finalized on Wednesday between the Seahawks and Love’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who was in Seattle. Rosenhaus also represents free agent offensive lineman Connor Williams, who visited the Seahawks this week.
A vital part of the Seahawks defense
Originally a fourth-round pick by the Giants out of Notre Dame in 2019, Love has recorded at least one interception each season of his five-year NFL career, totaling nine interceptions. He has also accumulated 414 combined tackles over 81 career games.
Seattle is undergoing significant changes this offseason, with the Seahawks parting ways with leading safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, as well as longtime head coach Pete Carroll.
Mike Macdonald, previously the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and now the youngest head coach in the NFL, steps in. His 2023 Ravens defense topped the league in points per game (16.5), sacks (60), and takeaways (31).
Julian Love thrived in head coach Pete Carroll's defensive scheme last year, and it’s clear that new head coach Mike Macdonald also sees him as a key component of his defensive plans.
A converted cornerback with experience across the secondary for both the Giants and Seahawks, Love fits Seattle's need for versatility in their defensive backfield.
Macdonald represents the new direction for the Seahawks, tasked with leading the team after following the legacy of the most successful coach in Seattle’s history.
Despite a decline toward the end of Carroll's tenure, the Seahawks still achieved five division titles, two NFC championships, and the team's only Super Bowl under his leadership.
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