Ex-Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner Blasts Front Office Following Departure

Reuniting with Dan Quinn, Bobby Wagner found a new home in Washington, but that doesn't mean he isn't frustrated by his latest exit from the Seahawks.

Dec 24, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) waits for the / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Following a disappointing split two years ago that resulted in a lone season with the Los Angeles Rams, Bobby Wagner made his triumphant return to the Seattle Seahawks last season with hopes of finishing his Hall of Fame career where it started.

Unfortunately, however, Wagner's second stint in the Pacific Northwest wound up being just as brief as his stint in Los Angeles. With Seattle breaking in a new coaching staff and opting not to make a viable offer to retain him, he reunited with former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in Washington instead, joining his third team in as many seasons.

While Wagner maintains his love for the city of Seattle, fans, and his former coaches and teammates, just as he did when publicly aired grievances about learning of his release on social media in March 2022, he isn't pleased about how things unfolded that led to his departure for the second time in two years. Specifically, as indicated in a recent interview with Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show, he took issue with the way the front office handled the situation.

“My relationship with the city is always amazing, like always great,” Wagner told Adams. “My relationship with the the players and the staff and the people that work there is always great. I just think that some of the upper management didn’t handle things the right way, and it is what it is, it’s part of the business. You know, you always have those things, and I’m sure they’ll get worked out over time. I’m not somebody who holds grudges or anything like that, so I think that’s kind of where it stands.”

Despite recording 183 tackles in his return to Seattle, the Seahawks decided to pass on re-signing Bobby Wagner this offseason. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

From Wagner's point of view, it's not hard to understand why he would feel miffed by the Seahawks apparent lack of interest in re-signing him. Even though he will turn 34 years old in June, he led the NFL with 183 combined tackles and tacked on 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in his return to the Emerald City, earning his 10th All-Pro selection in the process and showing few signs of decline. He certainly wasn't the problem for one of the worst run defenses in the league.

After the Seahawks lost fellow starting linebacker Jordyn Brooks to the Dolphins early in free agency, coming off another strong season, Wagner probably expected general manager John Schneider to come back with a better offer to solidify the middle of the defense. But when that didn't happen and Quinn and the Commanders showed more interest, rather than wait things out, he accepted the offer to take his talents to the nation's capital on a one-year contract.

As for Seattle, Schneider and Macdonald quickly turned attention to signing younger replacements in Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson, bringing both players on board with one-year deals. The team also invested a fourth-round pick in UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight, who will begin at weakside linebacker as he looks to emerge as a long-term starting option in Brooks' stead with the potential to eventually move to MIKE linebacker.

In the short term, Wagner's presence may have softened the blow of losing Brooks to the Dolphins and his leadership value in the locker room cannot be understated. But while his perspective makes sense, Schneider shouldn't be blamed for the decision he made to move on either.

With Macdonald and a brand new coaching staff taking over for Pete Carroll, speed and athleticism look to be top priorities at linebacker in a different scheme. As good of a player as Wagner still is, particularly when he can fly downhill to defend the run, he can't move as well as he once did sideline to sideline and limited lateral mobility has become more of a problem for him in coverage the past few years.

Bringing Wagner back would have prevented the Seahawks from getting an extended look at younger players who could be part of the future in Macdonald's defense. By making the difficult choice to go a different direction, even if it results in worse play at linebacker in 2024, the organization will have an extensive window for evaluating Baker, Dodson, and Knight to see where they may fit into long-term plans.

In addition, the contract Wagner signed with the Commanders could be worth up to $8.5 million, and considering the Seahawks were strapped for cap space most of this offseason, bringing him back at a similar price point may have prevented them from addressing other important needs. With Baker and Dodson signing for less, they maintained a bit more financial flexibility for next season.

If Wagner thrives in Washington and continues to play at an All-Pro level for Quinn, many Seahawks fans will look back on the decision to let him walk with disgust, especially if Baker or Dodson doesn't pan out as a successor and Knight isn't ready to contribute. But while the franchise isn't in a rebuild, at least per Schneider, such choices with a new coaching staff on board must be viewed with a long-term lens beyond this upcoming season.

Keeping that in mind, it's understandable why Wagner would feel disrespected or even betrayed by the organization. But this choice wasn't a personnel one decrying his ability and strictly boiled down to business with Macdonald and company seeking their own players to get Seattle back in playoff contention for the foreseeable future, and as they did last spring, the two sides will be able to make amends down the line whenever No. 54 hangs up his cleats.