National Football League

Rams reportedly trade LB Ernest Jones IV to Titans

Published Aug. 27, 2024 3:00 p.m. ET

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After speculation of a possible trade, the Los Angeles Rams are moving on from linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

The Tennessee Titans have acquired Jones in a deal with the Rams, according to multiple reports. The Rams will receive a 2026 fifth-round pick for Jones, but will also give the Titans a 2026 sixth-round pick, NFL Media reported. 

Jones, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract, reportedly received permission from Los Angeles to seek a trade in recent days. However, Jones wrote in a social media post that he "never asked for a trade" on Sunday.

After a solid rookie season in 2021, Jones became one of the faces of the Rams' defense over the last two seasons. He was one of their defensive captains and was highly productive, recording 114 total tackles in 2022 and 145 total tackles in 2023. He also had 4.5 sacks last season. 

Despite Jones' production, there were some questions over the 2021 third-round pick's long-term future with the franchise. The Rams have placed little value on the inside linebacker positions since the franchise returned to Los Angeles, frequently suiting up fringe players with cost-effective salaries at the spot — except for their brief dalliance with Bobby Wagner, who played just one season of a five-year, $50 million deal in 2022 before the Rams dropped him.

Jones seemed to recognize that getting a long-term deal with the Rams might have been an uphill battle when he spoke with reporters at the start of training camp in July. 

"I love to be in LA," Jones said at the time. "I really want to be here. This is truly where I want to keep my family at, grow my family here. But I also know that there's a business side of it, too, that I can't truly control. We'll see."

The Rams' options at linebacker are thin after trading Jones. Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder — an improbable starter during the Rams' Super Bowl run — both seem to represent a precipitous drop-off from Jones. Veteran Jacob Hummel and undrafted free-agent rookie linebacker Omar Speights also could be options but at a fraction of Jones' ability.

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The Titans, meanwhile, will hope that Jones can replace the production lost from Azeez Al-Shaair's departure this offseason. The former Titans linebacker signed with the Houston Texans in free agency in the offseason after recording 163 total tackles last season. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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