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Bobby Wagner Immediately Becomes No Brainer for Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an opportunity to fix their inside linebackers for the first time since Ryan Shazier.

Noah Strackbein

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The Seattle Seahawks moved on from two icons this week, and while the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't get their hands on Russell Wilson, maybe they can add a Pro Bowl inside linebacker.

The Seahawks released eight-time Pro Bowler Bobby Wagner after 10 seasons with team. Following the trade of Wilson, Wagner's release clears roughly $27 million for Seattle, but it opens plenty of doors for teams who aren't searching for cap space.

Enter the Steelers.

It's no secret Pittsburgh's interior linebackers struggled in 2021. Devin Bush took a large step back after returning from ACL surgery, trading for Joe Schobert did not work out and hoping Robert Spillane was a starter didn't last long.

They'll head into the offseason with a little under $30 million in available salary cap space, with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Diontae Johnson likely earning extensions, and clear eyes on a number of stars on the open market.

Wagner offers immediate superstar potential, which likely boosts the play of Bush and second-year linebacker Buddy Johnson, while adding much-needed relief in the middle. 

At 31-years-old, Wagner could be looking for a major contract, but a more reasonable one. He signed a three-year, $54 million deal with Seattle in 2019. 

Pittsburgh won't offer $17 million a year, but they'll consider something significant for a player of this stature. 

Wagner is coming off a career-high 170 tackles in 2021. Really, that's all the Steelers need to hear. This team has struggled to replace Ryan Shazier for years, and when hope in Bush vanished last season, it made it clear that it's time they got something right within the group.

Wagner is an easy option to say 'will succeed.' Pittsburgh knows it. They're already thinking about his contract offer. 

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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