Tag: Seahawks Bobby Wagner

Former Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner projected to play for NFC West rival in 2025

Former Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner projected to play for NFC West rival in 2025

Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was outstanding for the Washington Commanders in 2024. The future Hall of Famer recorded 132 tackles en route to helping the Commanders shockingly qualify for the NFC Championship Game. Wagner is now scheduled to reach free agency for a fourth consecutive offseason.

Wagner played for the Seahawks from 2012 to 2021. He then joined the rival Los Angeles Rams for a season after being released from his contract in Seattle. Wagner reunited with the Seahawks in 2023 before joining the Commanders in 2024.

Pro Football Focus is projecting Wagner to rejoin the Rams via free agency. We’re not sure we can handle that again!

“The Rams are quite familiar with the mercenary linebacker, as they’ve seen him ball out for this defense in 2022, where Wagner earned an impressive 90.7 overall grade (at 32 years old),” Mason Cameron wrote. “Los Angeles finds itself in need of both help at linebacker – only have Omar Speights under contract next season – and veteran leadership to help develop this young and talented defense.”

The Rams could enter the market for a veteran off-ball linebacker after trading Ernest Jones IV to the Tennessee Titans last offseason. Of course, Jones eventually ended up in Seattle, where he’d help transform Mike Macdonald’s defense down the stretch. Jones and/or Wagner could be targets for the Rams via free agency. The Seahawks should attempt to prevent that from happening.

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Legendary Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner puts forth breathtaking postseason performance

Legendary Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner puts forth legendary postseason performance

The Washington Commanders executed the first upset of the 2024 NFL postseason, defeating the NFC South winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on a last-second field goal. Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was outstanding in the win. Wagner recorded a game-high eight tackles and recovered a crucial fumble.

The Buccaneers were leading 17-13 in the fourth quarter. Facing a 1st-and-10 early in the final quarter, starting quarterback Baker Mayfield fumbled a backfield exchange with rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan. Wagner recovered the loose ball. It was a game-changing play, with Commanders QB Jayden Daniels throwing a game-leading touchdown on 4th-and-2, taking a 20-17 lead. Shockingly, it was Wagner’s first career postseason fumble recovery.

Wagner previously played 10 seasons with the Seahawks from 2012-21. Throughout that tenure, he earned seven All-Pro nominations, eight Pro Bowl selections, and won Super Bowl XLVIII as a member of the Seahawks. Wagner was released from his contract in 2022, playing that season for the Los Angeles Rams.

Wagner made his triumphant return to the Seahawks in 2023 on a one-year contract. In true legendary fashion, Wagner put forth a turn-back-the-clock season, recording a career-high and league-leading 183 tackles en route to his ninth pro Bowl appearance in Seattle.

Unsurprisingly, Wagner reunited with former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn this past offseason. Quinn coached Wagner for two seasons in Seattle (2013-14) and is now the head coach in Washington. Together, they helped the Commanders upset Tampa on Sunday.

Wagner and the Commanders are moving onto the divisional round.

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Seahawks legend Bobby Wagner opens delicious store in Renton

Seahawks legend Bobby Wagner opens delicious store in Renton

Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner will always ties to the organization and local community. Having spent the first 10 seasons (2012-2021) of his career with the organization, it was a sad day when the Seahawks initially moved on from Wagner in 2022. He’d spend the 2022 campaign with the division rival Los Angeles Rams before making a surprising and triumphant return to the defense via a one-year contract in 2023.

Wagner was outstanding for the Seahawks this past season. He was named to his ninth career Pro Bowl after miraculously racking up a career-high number of tackles (183) in his 12th career campaign. The Seahawks went through a bit of a regime change after parting ways with Pete Carroll this offseason, and Wagner moved on to sign a contract with the Washington Commanders, where he’ll play this season.

That doesn’t mean Wagner won’t keep ties with the local community. On Thursday, the former Utah State standout took to social media to announce that he is opening a Crumbl Cookies location in Renton Landing on Friday.

John Schneider’s former second-round selection from the historically great 2012 NFL Draft will stay connected to the local community via his new business venture. Wagner’s Crumbl at The Landing, which is within walking distance from Seahawks headquarters, will join the 20-plus stores throughout the state, with Crumbl becoming the go-to for gourmet cookies. Additional locations include Woodinville, Lakewood, Tacoma Central, and others.

Stop by Wagner’s new Crumbl location if you’re in the Renton area. You may even get an autograph!

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Future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner says he ‘still has so much to prove’

We don’t think he has anything to prove, but that’s probably why he’s Bobby Wagner and we’re writing about Bobby Wagner from the couch.

Bobby Wagner returned to the field with Seahawks fans present for the first time in about a year and a half yesterday. Seattle held the first training camp practice of the 2023 season the VMAC on Wednesday and one thing that’s  clear is that Wagner is the most-popular player on this roster – with the fans’ fondness made all the stronger by his one-season absence.

When practice was over, No. 54 addressed the crowd and thanked them for their support – which included “Bobby” chants. Later at night Wagner shared a photo of himself on Twitter with a message saying he can’t wait to play and has so much to prove.

We don’t think he has anything to prove, but that’s probably why he’s Bobby Wagner and we’re writing about Bobby Wagner from the couch.

In any case, Wagner graded out as the top linebacker in the league last season by Pro Football Focus. Whether you agree or not the point stands that Wagner remains one of the best off-ball linebackers in the game, even at 33 years old. PFF has Seattle’s top-heavy linebacker unit ranked No. 7 in the NFL heading into the 2023 season.

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Analysis: Seahawks fill biggest roster hole by bringing back Bobby Wagner

A one-year contract for a 32-year old off-ball linebacker usually doesn’t move the needle much in the modern NFL. This is not your average off-ball linebacker, though.

Seattle’s defensive front-seven overhaul continued on Saturday, with the team bringing back former linebacker Bobby Wagner on a one-year deal.

A one-year contract for a 32-year old off-ball linebacker usually doesn’t move the needle much in the modern NFL. This is not your average off-ball linebacker, though. He has had worthy contenders like Luke Kuechly and Lavonte David, but Wagner is the heavyweight-champion for the post-Ray Lewis generation of linebackers.

Fans may have had their perception of Wagner tainted by the last time he was in a Seattle uniform – but his uncharacteristic off-year in 2021 isn’t an accurate reflection of what Wagner can do.

In his one year with the Rams Wagner proved that he can still be an extremely disruptive defender and play his position about as well as anybody in the league.

Moreover, while Wagner was down in LA the Seahawks completely fell apart at this position. Jordyn Brooks took over as the centerpiece for their defense but continued to struggle in coverage, a weakness that their more clever opponents exploited throughout the 2022 season.

With Brooks now nursing a late-season ACL tear, their need for an upgrade was even greater. There wasn’t a better one on the market – to say nothing of picking up an experienced, instinctive defender who already knows the way Pete Carroll’s staff does things.

What this means for Seattle’s 2023 NFL draft plans and the offseason after this one is anybody’s guess. For now the outlook for this upcoming season just got a whole lot better.

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