RENTON (AP) — The last time Julian Love went through the process of negotiating a contract extension with the team he was playing for, it got messy to the point of him leaving town.
This time, the experience couldn’t have gone better and it concluded on Thursday when he signed a three-year extension with the Seattle Seahawks worth up to $36 million.
“It was just great, across the board,” Love said. “This process in the past hasn’t been the best for me. From (general manager) John (Schneider) down, all the guys, they were just so professional and I really appreciated how they handled it all.”
Love’s deal will keep him locked up by Seattle through the 2027 season and anchors one spot in the secondary for new coach Mike Macdonald.
It also was refreshing for Love after his last contract process that played out during the 2022 season and into the offseason. Love wanted to stay with the team that drafted him, the New York Giants, but his desire for an extension went unfulfilled.
Love ended up hitting free agency in March 2023 and the Giants chose to let him walk after he was offered a two-year contract worth $12 million by Seattle.
“I’m a big proponent of when in doubt, double down on myself,” he said. “I think no matter what situation I’ve been placed in, I’ve stayed productive. I’ve stayed who I am, which is tough when things sometimes don’t fall your way. But I think that’s the most validating thing is that I stayed true to myself in this process.”
Love arrived in Seattle last season as a No. 3 safety behind Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, but quickly became an invaluable contributor by playing multiple positions. Love started 12 of 17 games and finished with career highs in solo tackles (85) and interceptions (four) and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was the NFC defensive player of the week for Week 15 after having nine tackles and two interceptions in a win over Philadelphia.
He said the conversations about an extension with Seattle started in the spring before an agreement was finalized on Wednesday following the first day of training camp.
“I like a lot about his game. Really excited for him. I think it’s a shout-out to him and the type of person he is, the type of football player,” Macdonald said Thursday. “Definitely the type of guy that we want here.”
Love said the challenge moving forward is proving he’s worth the investment Seattle made. He thinks that will happen if he continues showing his versatility by taking on multiple roles in Macdonald’s defensive scheme.
“That’s what I do. I think that’s what I do best. My entire career playing football I’ve been able to do multiple things and for us to be successful I think we have to be multiple,” Love said. “We have so much talent, but it makes no sense if the talent is lined up in the same spot every play.”
