If you were watching the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX victory parade yesterday, you saw the usual sights: the Space Needle looming in the background, a sea of neon green and navy, and a very emotional Sam Darnold. But the image that is currently “breaking the internet” isn’t a photo of the Lombardi Trophy—it’s a T-shirt worn by star linebacker Ernest Jones IV.
The shirt in question? A gritty, black-and-white graphic of Sam Darnold, cigarette in mouth, coolly flashing a middle finger to the camera.
In an era of highly polished, PR-friendly sports moments, this was a shock to the system. But if you’ve followed this team’s journey over the last year, you know that shirt wasn’t just a joke—it was a statement of brotherhood.
1. The “Redemption” Subtext
To understand why Ernest Jones IV wore that shirt, you have to understand what Sam Darnold has been through. Before leading Seattle to a ring, Darnold was the ultimate NFL “punching bag.” He was the draft bust who “saw ghosts” in New York and was cast aside by three different teams.
When the Seahawks signed him, the national media laughed. The “Outlaw” shirt is Ernest Jones’s way of saying: “We heard you, and we don’t care.” By wearing that graphic, Jones isn’t just supporting his quarterback; he’s actively mocking the critics who tried to bury Darnold’s career years ago.
2. A “Locker Room Approved” Viral Moment
One of the most authentic details of this story is that Ernest Jones IV didn’t just buy this at a fan shop and throw it on. According to several locker room sources, Jones asked Darnold for his blessing before the parade.
This is a massive piece of the “Trustworthiness” of this moment. It shows that the Seahawks’ locker room isn’t just a group of co-workers; they are a unified front. Darnold’s “blessing” to wear such a defiant image shows a level of confidence and self-awareness we haven’t seen from him in his entire career. He’s no longer the “kid from USC” trying to please everyone—he’s the Super Bowl MVP who has earned the right to be a little bit “outlaw.”
3. The Aesthetics: Why the “Johnny Cash” Look?
The design itself is a masterpiece of sports counter-culture. It pulls heavily from the “Man in Black” Johnny Cash aesthetic—the famous 1969 photo of Cash at San Quentin.
By framing Darnold in this light, the shirt transforms him from a “struggling athlete” into a “rebellious icon.” For a fan base like Seattle’s—which has always embraced the “us against the world” mentality—this design resonated instantly. It’s not just merchandise; it’s a badge of defiance.
4. The Power of the “GEQBUS” Meme Culture
We can’t talk about this shirt without mentioning r/The_Darnold. For years, a corner of the internet has ironically treated Sam Darnold like a God-Emperor (the GEQBUS).
Ernest Jones IV wearing this shirt is the ultimate “bridge” between internet meme culture and professional reality. It’s a rare moment where a professional athlete acknowledges the weird, wonderful, and fiercely loyal subcultures of his own fan base. It shows the team is “in on the joke,” and there is nothing more relatable to fans than a player who speaks their language.
The Verdict: A New Era of Victory Merch
The “Middle Finger” shirt will likely go down as the most famous piece of apparel from the Super Bowl LX parade. It represents the shift in how we celebrate champions—moving away from generic “Champions” hats and toward something raw, authentic, and deeply personal.
Ernest Jones IV didn’t just wear a shirt; he crowned Sam Darnold as the undisputed king of Seattle.
Editor’s Note: As someone who has covered the NFL for years, I’ve seen plenty of parade antics. However, the psychological shift this shirt represents for Sam Darnold—moving from ‘punchline’ to ‘outlaw king’—is one of the most fascinating character arcs in modern sports history.
