Former Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner Inks Five-Year Deal With Rams

Staying close to home, Wagner will join the defending champs hoping to help the team repeat and will have a chance to enact revenge on the Seahawks twice next season.

After being released by the Seahawks earlier this month, future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner will be staying in the NFC West.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Wagner has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Rams on a five-year, $50 million contract. The deal could be worth up to a maximum of $65 million.

Wagner, who will turn 32 in July, had been linked to the Rams since the Seahawks released him in a cost-cutting measure on March 12. He recently visited with the team and also met with the Ravens, while other teams such as the Cowboys bowed out of the sweepstakes for his services.

A native of Ontario, California, Wagner will now get to play close to home for the defending Super Bowl champions, joining a loaded defense already featuring defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. On top of that, he will have a chance to face his former team twice a year, mirroring cornerback Richard Sherman's choice to sign with the 49ers in 2018.

Selected by Seattle in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Utah State, Wagner became an instant starter at middle linebacker and surpassed 100 tackles as a rookie. Few players at any position have been more consistent over the past decade, as he eclipsed the century mark for tackles each season, joining Ray Lewis and London Fletcher as only the third player since 1987 to accomplish such a feat.

The most decorated player in Seahawks franchise history, Wagner passed Hall of Fame tackle Walter Jones with his eighth All-Pro selection in 2021. Despite missing the last two games with a knee injury, he finished with 170 tackles, establishing a new career-high. He also added five passes defensed and an interception.

Despite that production, however, Seattle opted to cut Wagner due to his age and hefty $20.35 million cap hit. By releasing him, the team created $16 million in salary cap space to use to re-sign other players such as safety Quandre Diggs and running back Rashaad Penny.

When asked at the NFL's annual owner meetings earlier this week if the Seahawks would consider bringing back Wagner, general manager John Schneider shot down the idea, telling reporters the team was ready to move forward with rising star Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton as the starting weakside and middle linebackers. It's possible they could use one of their eight draft picks to select a future starter at the position as well.

Someday, Wagner's No. 54 will be vaulted into the stands at Lumen Field as a member of the Seahawks' Ring of Honor and his bust will be on display in Canton as one of the best linebackers in NFL history. But until then, fans will have to deal with the reality of seeing one of the most popular players in franchise history return to town donning a Rams uniform as a member of a hated division rival.