Why Seahawks QB Geno Smith Appreciates LB Bobby Wagner

The Seattle Seahawks are happy to have linebacker Bobby Wagner back, including quarterback Geno Smith.

The Seattle Seahawks hope to benefit from a bold transaction they made over the offseason, re-signing franchise icon Bobby Wagner.

Wagner played his first 10 seasons with the Seahawks before signing a five-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams in March 2022. Wagner was hoping to help the Rams repeat as Super Bowl champions, but the season went south and the team won just four games, prompting Los Angeles to release him.

That opened the door for a return to Seattle, where he'll look to re-establish himself as one of the team leaders next to quarterback Geno Smith, who appreciates his competitive nature in practice.

"Anytime you get a chance to go head-to-head and compete against a guy like that every day, it makes you a better quarterback," Smith said of Wagner. "I've appreciated it, in those two games we played against them he made it tough on us and made a ton of great plays. So just happy to have him back on our side.”

Wagner has been an All-Pro in each of the last nine seasons, a feat that will likely grant him immediate access to the Hall of Fame in Canton once he retires. Smith now has a front-row spot to see how the future first-ballot Hall of Famer works day in and day out.

“His consistency, you look at a guy who’s got all the accolades you can name at the linebacker position," Smith said. "He has been overall just consistent, the way that he works every day. I think if you're looking for a template of what it looks like to be consistent and to be a great leader on a daily basis, then a young guy can look directly at him and kind of follow what he’s done and what he is doing.”

Wagner is set to re-introduce himself to the Seahawks in the team's season opener next weekend against his former Rams squad. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. at Lumen Field.