Julian Love looked like a player with a contract that could become an impasse towards a long-term future with the Seattle Seahawks after the 2026 season, but through the first two games the safety has instead carved a path that could make him one of the franchise’s all-time great “second act” stories.
At 25, Love was considered a low-priority free agent who may have a bigger impact on special teams than on defense.
At 26, Love was a Pro Bowl safety who signed an extension that made him the 11th-highest paid player at his position.
Now 28, Love is playing like a first-team All-Pro. This is one of the best catches that any player will make this season, including receivers:
No, two games does not make an entire season. But Love has been on this trajectory since he came to Seattle in 2023 and he’s only gotten better under Mike Macdonald.
In case you missed it when I wrote it in 2023, Love has a fascinating backstory and his history as a cornerback is certainly helping his present situation as one of the NFL’s top safeties.
Dating back to the Super Bowl, Love has intercepted a pass in three straight games. Dating back to the start of the 2025 season, passes in Love’s direction have resulted in a passer rating BELOW 40(!), including a passer rating of 9.7 in the playoffs, and he’s intercepted four passes on fewer than 30 attempts.
Said Macdonald of Love after Seattle’s Week 1 win over the Patriots: “Julian Love played his best game as a Seahawk, and that’s saying something.”
What’s he going to say on Monday after his latest great game?
Whereas Love’s $15.2 million cap hit in 2027 felt “inedible” a couple of weeks ago, the safety now looks “unexpendable” as one of the Seahawks’ most important defensive players. The question is, what are they gonna do about it?
Julian Love contract extension talks
The Seahawks are not likely to break their rule that they don’t negotiate with players who have more than one season left on their current deal, so Love’s contract won’t change this year. Instead, it’s a matter of accounting that is increasingly more likely to be addressed in 2027.
Love has a $10.32 million base salary next season, with the chance to bring it up to an even $11 million with per game roster bonuses.
If Love continues to play at this clip, Seattle’s next move would be an extension that pays him a large signing bonus and brings down his 2027 base salary to the $1.2 million range. Love would have a lower 2027 cap hit even though he’s also getting a massive raise.
The top safety salaries now
At this rate, Love will essentially be next year’s “Leonard Williams”, a star player on the older side who is still too important to let walk or enter a contract year. The Seahawks extended Williams during training camp.
Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton lead the NFL at $25 million per season at the safety position, but Love is never going to approach that number. Similarly, Williams is an elite defensive tackle but signed for $30 million AAV, not the $38m AAV of Jalen Carter or the $35m AAV a couple other players.
Instead, Seattle would be urging Love to sign for the $18-$20 million AAV range.
I don’t even know if maybe the Seahawks could convince him to sign for $15-$17 million AAV. John Schneider has pulled off greater magic tricks than that.
This is all under the assumption that Love is healthy and adds more accolades to his resume given that he’s one of the most important veteran leaders on the NFL’s best defense, plus he’s practically doing the work of two deep safeties while Ty Okada’s been out. In that context, a three-year, $54 million contract for Julian Love may be a bargain.
I used to think Seattle drafted Bud Clark as a potential way to avoid Love’s cap hit next season. Now that we’ve seen the defense without Okada or Clark, obviously Love is someone who teams don’t want to miss.
Unless they’re passing against him.
Julian Love: Defensive Player of the Game
In the hours after the game, 50% of Seasiders picked Love as Seattle’s defensive player of the game.
That’s compared to the 10% who picked Love to be the Defensive Player of the Game on Saturday. I’m curious to see how much higher Love’s percentage of the votes goes up in Week 3’s fan expectations.
JSN won Offensive Player of the Game, which most fans expected.
Week 2 Expectations
Seaside Joe’s over/under on fan expectations went well in Week 2. I had over on Drew Lock’s 215 passing yards (he had 235), under on Jadarian Price’s 86 rushing yards (52), over on Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 109 yards (155), and said that the turnover ratio would be 1:1, which it was. I was wrong about Jacoby Brissett being sacked four times (sacked two times).
The winner of the most accurate expectations is…anonymous. We’ll never know, unless you speak up and claim it. Here’s what one person expected:
Seahawks win 24-10 (won 31-7)
Lock 235 passing yards (had 235 passing yards)
1 TO (had 1 TO)
2 sacks (had 2 sacks)
Julian Love DPOG (Julian Love DPOG)
JSN OPOG (JSN OPOG)
Price 70 rushing yards (52)
JSN 112 yards (155)
2 takeaways (1)
Dickson STPOG (didn’t have an option for Surratt)
Even the 24-10 score expectation was only one late Barnyard push away from being almost dead on. Good job, whoever you are.
JL is also a class act based on how he presents to the press. As one of the more prominent faces of the team, he does his organization proud with his easygoing intelligence, humility and humor. I think that matters.
Julian Love has gone from quietly good to obviously great. Two games in, he’s the Seahawks DPOY. Apparently, he was playing hurt last year. If he stays healthy, he could lead the team in interceptions.