Ernest Jones Twists the Knife on Rams After Seahawks Beat Former Team

Ernest Jones won a Super Bowl with the Rams, was unceremoniously traded from the team in 2024, and is now savoring the moment after knocking off his ex-team en route to Super Bowl LX.

Jones and the Seahawks clashed with Sean McVay’s Rams on Sunday, holding off LA 31-27 in a hard-fought NFC Championship battle.

READ: Davante Adams, Sean McVay Show Frustration After Heartbreaking Rams Loss

The former Rams linebacker, who took on a bigger defensive role after the departure of Bobby Wagner in LA, partied, and then some, after the win, a celebration that suggested a bitter split had been brewing for quite some time.

Jones’ departure from the Rams quickly turned into a PR mess for the team in late 2024, after reports surfaced that he allegedly requested a trade.

SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 25: Ernest Jones #13 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on January 25, 2026 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jones later pushed back, saying his camp never requested a trade from the Rams, though the distinction ultimately became moot after LA shipped him to the Titans. He was coming off his best season as a Ram, only deepening the confusion surrounding the rocky exit.

At the time, Sean McVay was pressed repeatedly by the media about the conflicting reports, drawing a feisty response from the Rams head coach.

McVay described the Jones trade as a move that served "best for the team," a remark that no doubt lingered with Jones. 

And that bitter edge was undeniable Sunday after the Seahawks’ win.

Jones appeared at the postgame podium, cigar in hand, and gave a passionate response about what it meant to beat his former team.

"Was tough for me to be to be moving. My son was just born. We just bought a house in LA. To completely have our life uprooted (and) to win this game. Trust me, I won’t say it, but this means everything," Jones said after the game.

Jones twisted the knife further with a reaction to his cigar-smoking moment.

He posted on X: "Just a lil rams pack! Shiii smoke GOODT."

The linebacker was among several former Rams players to join Seattle and get a measure of retribution, including former Rams wideout Cooper Kupp and running back Cam Akers.

Jones recorded 146 total tackles and added 4.5 sacks in 15 games during his final season with the Rams. He was part of the Super Bowl-winning Rams team in 2022, and later shared that he’d expected to be with the franchise for the foreseeable future.

"I’m just going to be completely honest, I was shocked," Jones shared after his trade to the Titans.

"We got off the flight from Houston and I got told that I’d be traded. No bad blood. There wasn’t even any contract talks. We never even talked numbers. It was just, ‘Y’all aren’t extending me? OK, we’ll play this year out.’ So I was under the impression that I was going to finish this year in L.A. and then move on, but it happened earlier. Love my guys over there, love the team that gave me my opportunity, so it’s no hard feelings on my end."

At the end of the day, such is the ire of getting traded to Tennessee.

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