Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Takeaways: Julian Love Shines With New Contract in Tow

All smiles after signing a three-year extension, Julian Love played to the level of his new contract with an interception to highlight the Seahawks second camp practice.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love wraps up for a tackle on a dummy during training camp. /

RENTON, Wash. - Only a few hours after officially becoming one of the 10 highest-paid safeties in the game, Julian Love didn't waste much time showing why the Seattle Seahawks invested long-term in him as a defensive building block.

Showcasing his elite instincts and ball skills during a team scrimmage session in Thursday's second training camp practice, Love quickly read quarterback Geno Smith's eyes and let them lead him to the football. Jumping an out route by receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he undercut the throw to make a diving interception, drawing loud cheers from teammates along the sideline on a highlight reel play that matched his new three-year, $36 million contract.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since signing the dotted line earlier on Thursday and moments after his outstanding pick, Love thanked Seattle's front office for handling negotiations with professionalism and cited his relationship with new coach Mike Macdonald as a key component of the extension coming together, acknowledging that he's fired up to play for him.

"It's big time, obviously. It's trust. You feel good when the guy you're playing for trusts you and believes in you," Love said. "We hit it off. I think we connected in a lot of ways. I'm familiar with how he calls games in his past and he's just a good guy to talk to and be around. I'm excited to play for him and obviously earn what I have going forward."

Though Love has yet to play a game for Macdonald, the first-time head coach has offered immense praise for the versatile safety ever since taking the job as Pete Carroll's successor with the two holding mutual respect for one another. His high football IQ and ability to line up at both safety spots quickly stood out to the new coach, and as he's gotten to know him better in recent months, it became clear he needed to be a fixture in the Seahawks secondary for years to come.

Making the Pro Bowl for the first time last season and emerging as a leader on the field and in the locker room, Macdonald couldn't be happier for Love, who earned the mega deal by betting on himself after coming to Seattle on a two-year deal in March 2023.

"I like a lot about his game," Macdonald remarked. "I'm just really excited for him. I think it's a shout out to him for the person that he is, the type of football player [he is], definitely the type of guy we want here. He's worked his tail off and hopefully he's found a home here in Seattle for a while."

Aside from Love starring with a new contract in hand, who else stood out in Thursday's practice? Three additional takeaways from the VMAC:

1. A back-and-forth affair ensued with Seattle's offense and defense exchanging explosive plays and turnovers.

Following a quiet first practice on the turnover front, with Love as the center of the show, Seattle's defense turned things up a notch on Thursday. But that didn't mean Smith and company didn't connect either as the two sides alternated big plays all afternoon.

During the first team session of the afternoon, DK Metcalf came open down the seam, getting a quick step of separation on cornerback Riq Woolen. Woolen wound up making up ground and tightening up coverage downfield, but Smith lofted a 40-plus yard strike out in front of Metcalf, who made a sensational diving catch in the end zone for six points.

On the next series, with the second-team offense and defense checking in, cornerback Artie Burns played the role of receiver for a bit of payback. As Sam Howell tried to tuck a throw over the top of him, he snagged the pass out of the air at full extension for an impressive interception, the first by the defense in training camp to that point.

Later in the practice during a 7-on-7 period, Smith aired it out for receiver Cody White on a go-ball, lofting the ball just over the top of rookie cornerback Carlton Johnson. White adjusted mid-jump to reach down and pluck the ball out of the air, pulling it away from the defender's fingertips along the back of the end zone for six points on a 40-yard score.

Capping off a competitive practice overall, Love got the last laugh after being on the receiving end of an earlier touchdown by Smith, rocketing out of his stance to pick off the throw to Smith-Njigba as he closed in on the sideline.

2. Under the radar signings in free agency, Pharaoh Brown and Laviska Shenault make their presence felt in the passing game.

Sticking to past trends, the Seahawks didn't make any splashy, expensive signings in free agency, instead seeking quality role players who could come in and help the football team without breaking the bank. Among the players who were signed to one-year contracts, Brown came over as a replacement for Will Dissly at tight end and Shenault was added to an already talented receiving corps as a complementary contributor.

Known most for his blocking skills and physicality as an inline tight end, Brown did average a career-high 16 yards per reception with the Patriots in 2023, flashing as a big play threat on limited opportunities. Those skills were on display on Thursday during 7-on-7, as he found the soft spot in zone coverage and worked his way down the seam, high-pointing a throw from Smith and plucking it out of the air for a long reception and several yards after the catch.

Later in the practice when Seattle went back to full 11-on-11 work, Shenault came through with his first big play as a Seahawk on the practice field. Coming open late on a deep corner route, quarterback Sam Howell dropped a perfect dime into the bucket as the receiver closed in on the sideline, connecting for a long touchdown.

"His role on offense is really up to him," Macdonald said of Shenault's fit in Seattle's receiving corps. "If he can consistently execute at a high level, then the sky is the limit on what he wants to do. But he's got to go show that on a day-to-day basis."

3. Off to a quick start, don't forget about Artie Burns in a deep, crowded Seahawks cornerback group.

With Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Tre Brown expected to start for the Seahawks and a proven veteran in Mike Jackson as well as incoming rookies Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James on the roster, some have left Burns out of the discussion for a roster spot. But so far through two days of camp, he's made sure to keep the coaching staff on alert with stellar play.

In Wednesday's first session, Burns swatted away a potential touchdown to White during a team session in the red zone, extending his arm in front of the receiver on a slant to knock it down. Taking his coverage to another level on Thursday, he snagged the first interception of camp demonstrating receiver-like ball skills to snag the pass out of the air with ease, drawing applause from multiple coaches, including Macdonald.

If Burns only could play outside cornerback, his chances of making Seattle's roster likely would be slim to none without injuries in front of him. But last year, he played well in his first game action in the slot, proving himself more position-flexible than anticipated, and he has pitched in with solid special teams play in the past as well. With a new coaching staff wanting to keep the best 53 players, if he can continue to come through with plays on the practice field, he could put pressure on everyone from Jackson to the pair of rookies battling for a spot.