Julian Love Has Something To Prove For The Seahawks In 2026

With two years left on his contract and coming off a season where he missed over half the games, Julian Love’s future in Seattle hangs on what he does this year.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) returns an interception against the New England Patriots in the second half. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Julian Love did something last year that he hadn’t done in the first six years of his NFL. He missed significant time with injuries. After a strong run of six seasons where he played in at least fifteen games, including all seventeen games in both seasons as a Seahawk, he was kept on the sidelines for over two months with a hamstring injury.

His play when he was on the field was quite good. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the sixth-best safety in the league in 2025, in fact. And he was ultimately available for all three postseason games, recovering a fumble against the 49ers and an interception against the Patriots. But his missed games loom large as we go into 2026.

What He’s Brought

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) against the Arizona Cardinals. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A fourth round pick out of Notre Dame in 2019, Julian Love was a rotational player and occasional starter for the New York Giants for the first three years of his career. He got his chance to start full-time in 2022, his contract year, helping the Giants to a surprise playoff appearance. He lined up all over for the Giants defense on his rookie deal.

After this successful 2022, Love departed New York for Seattle, signing a two-year, $12 million dollar deal there. He proved to be a great bargain, making the pro bowl in 2023 and continuing to be a highly versatile piece on the defense. Even though the Seahawks swapped out coaches, and defensive schemes, the following offseason, Love was extended.

He continued to star under Mike Macdonald, making seventeen starts for the first time in his career in 2024. He remains a crucial part of the team, even after missing much of the 2025 campaign. However, in 2027, his cap hits $15.2 million with a dead cap number of just $4.2 million, so a decision point is coming for the Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) warms up prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

What To Expect

Love turns 29 next March, so age should not be an especially significant factor here. If he has a strong 2026 season and stays on the field, he’ll likely get extended. If his play diminishes or he misses a bunch of games, there’s a good chance he’ll be released. There might be a little grey area in the middle where he’s allowed to play out the last year of his deal as well.

Ty Okada played a lot of football last year filling in for Love, and was quite effective in doing so. Bud Clark was a second round pick a few months ago, and should be ready for action sooner rather than later. The pieces are in place to potentially fill Love’s spot on the team as is. This put some pressure on Julian to perform, and I believe that he will.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

I can easily see a second pro bowl in his future, as being a part of an elite defense should make a compelling case even if he doesn’t have the gaudiest numbers. His level of play when healthy last season was probably the best of his career, so he may very well be hitting his prime now in his late 20s. Put me down for his best season yet, and an extension in the offseason.

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