The Seattle Seahawks will likely be once again preparing for life without nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner. The six-time All-Pro defender is a free agent and is not expected to re-sign with the Seahawks, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“All-Pro and Pro Bowl LB Bobby Wagner is expected to test the market, and it’s currently viewed as unlikely that he returns to the Seahawks, source said,” Rapoport detailed with a March 10, 2024 message on X. “Coming off a career-high 183 tackles, Wagner joins a talented off-the-ball LB group in free agency.”
Wagner has had an up-and-down relationship with the Seahawks in recent years. Seattle opted to release Wagner on the same day the team traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in 2022.
The star went on to sign with the division rival Los Angeles Rams. Wagner was outspoken about his frustration with how Seattle handled his release. The two sides were able to patch things up as Wagner re-signed with the Seahawks in 2023.
It is now looking like this reunion was more of a push by former head coach Pete Carroll. It will be worth watching to see who head coach Mike Macdonald wants general manager John Schneider to sign in free agency as the team revamps their defense.
Seattle Seahawks Star Linebacker Bobby Wagner Has Topped 100 Tackles in All 12 NFL Seasons
Wagner is still playing at a high level coming off a Pro Bowl campaign last season. The star posted a career-high 183 tackles, 6 quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks in 17 appearances in 2023.
Wagner has topped 100 tackles in all 12 of his NFL seasons. It will be interesting to see what kind of a deal Wagner commands in free agency.
We have not seen veteran linebackers ink particularly lucrative deals in free agency in recent years. Wagner signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Seahawks last offseason. During an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports in October, Wagner reflected on his decision to return to the Pacific Northwest.
“I think me being my own agent, you have to separate the business side from the professional side, and so although I felt some type of way towards the business side personally, these were the guys that drafted me [and] gave me the opportunity,” Wagner said at the time. “So, I never really felt any type of way. I just thought the business could be handled differently, but I’ve seen a lot in this league so nothing surprises me.”
Seahawks Rumors: Mike Macdonald May Push to Sign Jadeveon Clowney & Patrick Queen
Seattle could turn to the Baltimore Ravens to help replace Wagner and other defenders. Macdonald has great familiarity with the Ravens defenders given his previous role as the team’s defensive coordinator. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that Jadeveon Clowney and Patrick Queen are among the potential Seahawks’ targets in free agency.
“I’ve heard a lot of speculation about which (if any) Ravens defensive free agents could follow former Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to Seattle now that he’s the head coach of the Seahawks,” Graziano detailed in a March 10, 2024 article titled, “NFL free agency buzz: Last-minute intel on signings, trades.” “In order of likelihood, based on conversations with my sources, I’d rank them as follows in terms of chances to land in Seattle: Patrick Queen, LB, Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Geno Stone, S.”
