'He's Been Terrific!' Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll Lauds Bobby Wagner's Return

The Seattle Seahawks have many key players on both sides of the ball that are contributing to their success this season, but one player stands out as a favorite for the fans, and they're ecstatic to have him back in town.

After a month of games, the Seattle Seahawks sit at 3-1 and in second place in the NFC West just behind a surging San Francisco 49ers team that's eating up the rest of the league. While Seattle has many key players on both sides of the ball that are contributing to its success this season, one player stands out as a favorite for the fans, and they're ecstatic to have him back in town.

Linebacker Bobby Wagner spent a year in Los Angeles with the Rams, after being an apparent salary cap casualty after the 2021 season. But unexpected success for the Seahawks that has allowed them to bypass a full rebuild brought him back for 2023. And he hasn't disappointed.

In the season opener against the Rams - a game many Seahawks would like to forget due to an abysmal second half - Wagner put his stamp back on the Seattle defense with 18 total tackles, including one for a loss.

Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner / © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

He added 10 more tackles in Week 2 at Detroit, and several teammates and his head coach Pete Carroll suggested Wagner's passionate rant earlier in the week was a huge reason the team was able to put behind them the loss against the Rams.

After a five-tackle performance in Week 3 in the win over Carolina, Wagner again impressed with 17 total tackles with two for loss, two quarterback hits and two sacks in Week 4's win over the New York Giants. And his efforts did not go unnoticed by his head coach.

"Seventeen tackles again this past week, he has been terrific," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "He's doing everything that he's always been able to do, and he looks great doing it. We're really fired up for him. He fits so well in the scheme and control and everything too. It has just worked out great."

Wagner is averaging 12.5 tackles per game, good enough for second in the league, and is ranked by Pro Football Focus as the third-best linebacker in the NFL and the No. 1 run-defender overall.

If the Seahawks are going to make a deep playoff run this season, Wagner will no doubt be a big reason why.