Seahawks give free safety Julian Love a three-year extension

The Seahawks took a significant step toward securing the future of their secondary Wednesday by agreeing to a three-year extension with free safety Julian Love, who made the Pro Bowl last season in his first year in Seattle. 

A source confirmed an initial report of the deal from ESPN, which stated the deal could be worth up to $36 million. That would keep him under contract with the Seahawks through the 2027 season.

The 26-year-old Love is entering the second season of a two-year deal worth up to $12 million he signed with the Seahawks as a free agent in March, 2023 after beginning his career with four seasons with the New York Giants. 

Love was set to make a base salary of $5 million this season on a contract that included a salary -hit for the 2024 season of $8.09 million, sixth-highest on the team. 

No further details of the contract were immediately available. The Seahawks often work extensions to bring down the current-year cap hits, and they could have done that as well with Love. They entered the day with $8.48 million in cap space, according to OvertheCap.com, less than all but six other teams in the NFL. The contract was formalized Wednesday between the Seahawks and Love’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who was in Seattle. Rosenhaus also represents free agent offensive lineman Connor Williams, who had a visit with the Seahawks this week.

The extension seems an emphatic vote of confidence in the ability of Love to not only serve as a playmaker on the field able to fill multiple roles, but also a leader in the locker room.

Love, a three-year starter at Notre Dame, emerged as a team captain his final year with the Giants in 2022 before signing with the Seahawks.

Love spent his first year in Seattle serving as a backup to Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams at the two safety spots as well as working regularly in three-safety sets. He led the Seahawks with four interceptions, was second in tackles with 123 and third in passes defensed with 10.

He also had a team-leading 13 special-teams tackles, which was tied for second in the NFL, and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after picking off two passes in a Monday night win over the Philadelphia Eagles, including a game-clinching interception in the final seconds.

Since the Seahawks cut Diggs and Adams in March, Love has emerged as the starting free safety alongside Rayshawn Jenkins at strong safety. Jenkins, 30, signed a two-year contract in March worth up to $12 million after starting all 34 regular-season games for Jacksonville the past two seasons, hitting the 100-tackle mark each season.

“On the field he has elite poise, and that’s something we’re chasing,’’ coach Mike Macdonald said of Love in the spring. “If something doesn’t go our way let’s keep our poise, play the next play. The game is slow to him, so to be able to communicate at a high level shows you what it should feel like when he’s out there. We have several guys like that so really exciting about that. J Love in particular, a guy that will be able to move around, change some different spots. You don’t see that yet, but he’ll be a guy we’ll be able to move around and utilize in a pretty sweet way.’’ 

Extending Love means the Seahawks could keep their secondary relatively intact for a few years.

Starting right cornerback Riq Woolen has two years remaining on his rookie contract and starting left cornerback and nickel back Devon Witherspoon has three years remaining on his deal. Tre Brown, who starts at left corner when Witherspoon plays nickel, is entering the final season of his rookie deal.