Seattle Seahawks Carroll, Wagner Praise Julian Love Ahead of Revenge Game vs. Giants

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love will return to MetLife Stadium on Monday, where he began his career with the New York Giants

The Seattle Seahawks will visit the New York Giants in MetLife Stadium on Monday, bringing back a flurry of memories for multiple Seahawks.

Head coach Pete Carroll and linebacker Bobby Wagner won a Super Bowl XLVIII there in 2014. Quarterback Geno Smith got his start in East Rutherford, NJ, with the New York Jets before infamously replacing Giants quarterback Eli Manning for a single game in 2017.

Safety Julian Love, the Seahawk with the most recent exposure to New York, will return to his old stomping grounds, too.

Love spent the first four seasons as a Giant, patrolling the backend while being used all across the secondary. He was one of their better defenders last season before they cast him off into free agency.

Returning brings with it an influx of emotions, some of which can be hard to handle once the bullets are flying on Monday Night Football. Both Carroll and Wagner, revered for their poise and leadership, spoke about Love and his venture back home.

Love makes a tackle against the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 / © Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

“We haven’t talked yet about going back specifically, but that’s coming up,” Carroll said. “It always can be a challenge; guys take it differently … He’s heard us talk to other guys about the same kind of situation. I think we’ll be alright.”

Love is yet to settle into a groove with Seattle, but it’s clear he has the confidence of his teammates. He’s a versatile playmaker who is expected to help make a secondary with young corners Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, as well as veteran safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, one of the better units in football.

“It can be a little emotional unless you hide it really well like I did,” Wagner said, referencing his return to Seattle with the Los Angeles Rams last season. “It’s going to be fun for him, but he’s been a good communicator for us, a good guy out there that we trust that can make plays.”

He, along with the rest of Seattle’s defense, will be tasked with stopping a New York offense that hasn’t made much noise in the early going. Aside from a strong fourth-quarter comeback against the Arizona Cardinals, they’ve mostly been fodder for teams with Super Bowl expectations.

Coming in at 2-1 and ripping off consecutive 37-point outings, the Seahawks hope to show the football world that they too are a contender. A big game from Love could help push that narrative into the bye week.