Seahawks LB Devin Bush Ready For 'New Chapter' in NFC West: 'We Can Easily Win It'

Following an up-and-down four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, an ultra-confident Devin Bush hopes a change of scenery and the presence of legendary linebacker Bobby Wagner will help him rediscover his top-10 pick form with the Seattle Seahawks.

If there's been a consistent theme to a busy offseason for the Seattle Seahawks thus far, what goes around comes around.

In a spring full of reunions, including the return of veterans Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed, the Seahawks continue to keep doors open for players to come back after previously parting ways. This trend isn't just restricted to players who already have spent time in the Pacific Northwest, however, as they have cast their lines into the water reeling in fish that previously got away.

Before signing him as a big ticket free agent last month, Seattle tried to acquire defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones in the Russell Wilson trade a year ago, only for Denver to decline. In a similar fashion, linebacker Devin Bush was on the franchise's radar entering the 2019 NFL Draft coming out of Michigan, only for Pittsburgh to trade up and draft him 10th overall.

Four years later, though the journey to the Emerald City proved to be anything but a straight path, Bush followed Jones' footsteps to finally join the Seahawks. Along with being excited for the opportunity to jumpstart his career with a much-needed fresh start, he's eager to learn from one of the best to ever play the game playing next to Wagner.

"It's a new opportunity," Bush told reporters via Zoom on Thursday. "I think it's a great place to play football because competition is a big thing out there and just being able to have the opportunity also to play next to Bobby Wagner. The floor is open and I think this division that we're in, we can easily win it. This is a new chapter."

Long before Bush was introduced to local media, Seattle had sights on Bush as a potential heir to Wagner and for good reason. Manning the middle of Michigan's defense in the rugged Big Ten, he earned All-American honors in 2017 and 2018, amassing 161 tackles, 10 sacks, and 10 pass breakups. He also put on a show at the NFL combine, running a 4.43 40-yard dash and posting a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump.

Thanks to his productivity in one of college football's premier conferences and outstanding athletic traits showcased in Indianapolis, Bush rocketed up draft boards. Scheduled to pick 21st overall, the Seahawks held out hope he would drop within range to either pick him at their native spot or trade up, maintaining contact with him throughout the pre-draft process.

At one point leading up to the draft, Bush flew out to Seattle for an official top-30 visit, meeting Carroll and most of the team's defensive coaching staff.

Unfortunately, before general manager John Schneider could even consider the possibility of trading up, the Steelers beat them to the punch, moving up 10 spots to tab Bush as their new middle linebacker. After missing out, the Seahawks would eventually draft Jordyn Brooks in the first round one year later as Wagner's expected successor.

"I knew early on coming out of college that they were a potential candidate, a potential landing spot for me," Bush said of Seattle's interest. "I was always intrigued by that with the defense they had. We talked a lot, but obviously it didn't work out. But things come back around in this business and you never know how things could play out."

Bush started out with a bang in Pittsburgh, finishing third overall in NFL Rookie of the Year balloting with 109 tackles and two interceptions, looking every bit like a top-10 talent. But only five games into his sophomore season, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL, the first major injury of his football career.

While Bush returned to action for the season opener in 2021, he struggled to round back into form and missed a pair of games with other injuries, producing only 70 tackles in 14 starts. He took a positive step forward last season statistically, but after starting the first 14 games, Pittsburgh benched him, the latest sign that the two sides would be splitting up when free agency opened.

In retrospect, Bush wishes things would have worked out differently in the Steel City and thanked the organization for giving him a chance. But after four roller coaster seasons, he knew it was time to take his talents elsewhere.

"I learned a lot," he said. "Obviously, I wouldn't say it was was up to par. But I know I have my ups and my downs and I think I learned a lot about myself, I learned a lot about this business. And I learned a lot about what I want out of it. I thank the Steelers for taking a chance on me, and I thank them for the four years that I had here, but it's obviously time to move on and go to different things and learn some more."

With the writing on the wall in Pittsburgh, Bush kept all of his options open going into free agency and didn't want to rush into a decision where he would play next. Once the Seahawks came calling inviting him for a visit, he jumped at the opportunity while keeping an open mind during what he called a "nerve racking" experience.

Upon his arrival in Seattle, Bush felt a strong connection with Carroll and his staff as he did during the pre-draft process back in 2019. Sensing a great fit with a defensive-minded coach and a competition-driven environment for a franchise with "something special brewing there," after considering his other options, he agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

"I knew I had a place that I can come in and compete right away, I knew how the play style was very historic for the defense, and it was a place that knew of me early on in the draft process," Bush said of choosing Seattle. "So we all had something mutual going on, and something familiar. I just felt like it was a good fit for the time, I feel like it'd be a good chance for me to get out of my comfort zone and go to Seattle and learn the ways out there and get a chance to just play football again."

When Bush's pen struck paper signing the dotted line, Wagner remained a free agent after being released by the Rams in a mutual separation. At the time, though speculation ran rampant and Schneider put fuel on the fire with comments about ongoing discussions between the team and player, a reunion with the Seahawks wasn't a given, even with Brooks in the midst of a rigorous rehab from knee surgery.

But before the legendary defender struck a deal to come back to his old stomping grounds late last month, Bush and his father Devin Bush Sr., who played eight years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl, spoke the move into existence. "Super excited" for the chance to learn from and play with an all-time great, Wagner's return to Seattle put a cherry on top of a dream scenario for the young linebacker.

"Me and my dad were actually talking about it when I signed to Seattle," Bush remarked. "Bobby was still out there in free agency and we were just playing around saying it was always a possibility. And once that happened, it was kind of like a dream come true. A potential Hall of Famer and to be able to play alongside of him, I can't ask for any better situation than that."

Looking to put his time in Pittsburgh behind him, Bush indicated that he's on the "other side" of his ACL tear and has put it behind him, feeling like he's never felt before. And, if there's a positive from the time lost due to injury, he has sharpened his mental game and will have a chance to further improve that aspect absorbing all he can from Wagner like a sponge.

In an odd, roundabout way, after being identified as Wagner's replacement-in-waiting four years ago as a top linebacker prospect in the draft, Bush could still wind up fulfilling that role. On a one-year prove it deal and still only 24 years old, he's hoping to show the Seahawks that he can be a part of their future beyond 2023 and find a long-term home.

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