Seahawks safety Julian Love finally earns well-deserved recognition

The Seattle Seahawks' top safety is severely underrated in the broader NFL landscape.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love against the Arizona Cardinals. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For how well Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love has played over past two years, the lack of recognition that he receives is almost criminal.

Love, 27, signed with the Seahawks as a free agent in 2023 after spending the first four years of his career with the New York Giants. Since then, he's quietly been one of the best safeties in the league with 232 tackles, 22 passes defended, seven interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He's also been pretty solid in coverage, allowing a passer rating of less than 90 in each of the past two seasons.

"Quietly" is the operative word in that sentence, though. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2023, but didn't receive an invitation back to the event in 2024. Even with stiff competition at the position, it still feels wrong that he didn't receive any recognition whatsoever.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love celebrates on the bench after his second interception against the Philadelphia Eagles. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

CBS Sports' Jared Dubin clearly felt that way, as he recently named Love as the NFL's most underrated safety.

"Love has a ton of versatility, and since arriving in Seattle has taken his game to a new level from where it was in New York," Dubin wrote. "He got Pro Bowl recognition in 2023 but might have been an even better player last season, and his play down the stretch was part of Seattle's defensive improvement.

"Love's ability to play in the box (222 snaps), the slot (122 snaps) or up high (699 snaps) makes him an extremely valuable asset for any defense, and especially one that calls for players to play a ton of different roles, like that of Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald."

Safety has become a position of strength for Seattle, with breakout star Coby Bryant and second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori rounding out the group. However, Love is pretty clearly the leader at the position, not only due to seniority, but due to his outstanding play since arriving in the Emerald City.

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