A knee injury kept Ernest Jones IV on the sideline for the Seahawks' Week 10 win over the Cardinals. It will not keep him from playing against his former team when the Seahawks face the Rams on Sunday.
Jones, who injured his knee in a Week 9 win in Washington, does not have a game status on Friday's injury report, meaning he is ready to play in a clash of 7-2 NFC West squads that, by just about any measure, are two of the league's top teams.
"I grew up wanting to be a part of these games," Jones said. "I want to be a part of where you can take control of a lot of things. The season's not over, but it gives you great help at the end. These games are important, but we've got to just go out there and treat it as normal."
Asked how he was feeling after Friday's practice, Jones said, "Great, ready to go play."
Jones spent last week on the sideline helping coach up and support his teammates, including Tyrice Knight, who stepped into the starting lineup, and Drake Thomas, who took over as the "green dot" player relaying calls from Mike Macdonald to the defense.
Jones said that duo did "everything I knew they were going to do. Those guys are ballers, like I said from the jump. You throw any of us out there, we're going to make plays, we're going to help the team."
Knight, who started the year starting alongside Jones, only to lose his starting job, responded with a huge game that included two forced fumbles on sacks, both of which were returned for touchdowns by DeMarcus Lawrence.
"I was super excited (for Knight)," Jones said. "I knew what he was going to do, he just needs the opportunity. He had a rough start, but I was just super excited to see him and Drake go out there and ball."
Whether it was Jones last week or Cooper Kupp the week before or Devon Witherspoon earlier in the season, injured players have found ways to contribute on game days even when they're not on the field.
"It's great, it helps," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "Every person on our sideline, even in the locker room, pre-game, guys that aren't dressing. The energy and the enthusiasm and those guys being into it has been really helpful, the guys have been awesome. When you have veterans doing it, it shows a great example for the young guys. That energy's contagious on the sideline, those guys that have done a great job. I'm thinking of Spoon, Spoon was out, and he's got the towel going and everything, it was pretty awesome."
But as involved as Jones was on the sideline last week, he's eager to get back to contributing on the field as Seattle's middle linebacker.
"I want to be available for my guys out there rolling," he said. "This is a really important game, it's got a lot of meaning to it. But all we're worried about is winning the next game, and they're the next team in front of us, so we've just got to go out and be dominant."
Having spent his first three seasons in Los Angeles before being traded prior to the start of last season, Jones still has a lot of connections with the Rams, but that won't be his focus when he returns to SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
"I don't really talk to them much, but those are my guys," Jones said. "We built something in that locker room, a brotherhood that I will never take for granted. So those are my guys, but we've got a game to win and we've got things ahead of us that we want to do."
The Seahawks and Rams face off for the first time in the 2025 season on November 16. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the Rams.
Los Angeles Rams kicker Tom Dempsey (10) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks Oct. 31, 1976, in Los Angeles. (NFL Photos via AP)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Cornell Webster (38) stops Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Drew Hill (29) during an NFL pre-season game Aug. 19, 1979 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood (85) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn for a loss during the first quarter in this Aug. 28, 1982 photo in Anaheim, Calif. Youngblood was one of seven elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac)
FILE - In this Aug. 13, 1987, file photo, Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson (29) breaks away from Seattle Seahawks' Joe Nash during an NFL preseason football game in Anaheim, Calif. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, Dickerson signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the L Rams, reuniting the famous running back with his first NFL football franchise. Dickerson also became a vice president of business development with the Rams, who returned to Los Angeles last year after 21 seasons in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy (96) topples a St. Louts Rams quarterback (16) during a pre-season NFL football game in 1991. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2000, file photo, St. Louis Rams' Devin Bush tackles Seattle Seahawks's Ricky Watters during the second half of an NFL football game in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck makes a pass against the St. Louis Rams during the first half in Seattle, Sunday Dec. 22, 2002. Hasselbeck passed for 303 yards completing 20 in 32 attempts as the Seahawks win 30-10. Behind is Rams' Troyka Jackson and Seahawks' Walter Jones. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Alex Bannister (85) hits St. Louis Rams' DeJaun Groce after Groce caught a punt during the first quarter in Seattle Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jerry Rice leaps to make a one-handed catch against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri on November 14, 2004. The Rams won 23-12. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, right, is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Lofa Tatupu in the third quarter, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005, in Seattle. The Seahawks won, 31-16. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Delon Branch, right, catches a touchdown pass in front of St. Louis Rams' Travis Fisher in the forth quarter in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, in St. Louis. The Seahawks won 30-28. (AP Photo/Bill Boyce)
Cornerback Marcus Trufant #23 of the Seattle Seahawks lends a leaping hand as teammate Deon Grant #24 intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Travis Taylor #18 of the St. Louis Rams at Quest Field on October 21, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 33-6. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Members of the Seattle Seahawks line up one yard out of the end zone against the St. Louis Rams during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, in St. Louis. The Seahawks won 23-20. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Seattle Seahawks' Julius Jones (22) runs with the ball as St. Louis Rams' David Vobora falls behind in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry (59) and Seattle Seahawks safety Lawyer Milloy middle, during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Seattle Seahawks defensive back Brandon Browner breaks up a pass intended for Brandon Lloyd of the St. Louis Rams during an NFL game in Seattle on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. The Seahawks won the game, 30-13. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson runs from St. Louis Rams outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Seattle Seahawks vs St. Loius Rams; Malcolm Smith
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, right, pushes Los Angeles Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner away as he runs the ball during the second half of an NFL football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
Tyler Lockett's toe-drag touchdown reception from a Russell Wilson 13-yard looping-over-the-top-pass brought a feeling of poetic ballet to the skill of catching touchdown passes. The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, 30-29, at CenturyLink Field, October 3, 2019.
