Bobby Wagner Hopeful to Play in Seahawks' Season Finale, Optimistic 'I'll Be Back' in 2022
Two days after coach Pete Carroll didn't rule out the possibility Bobby Wagner could still play in the Seahawks season finale against the Cardinals this weekend, the linebacker himself remains guardedly optimistic he will be able to suit up despite a knee injury.
Wagner, who exited last weekend's 51-29 win over Detroit with a knee sprain and was replaced by Cody Barton, departed to the locker room moments later and did not return. A report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Monday indicated the veteran defender wouldn't need surgery but also would be held out in Arizona.
Speaking with reporters in his weekly press conference on Wednesday, however, Wagner reaffirmed he dodged serious injury and has his sights set on being back on the field for the Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.
"I'm just gonna do what I do, get as much treatment as I possibly can," Wagner said. "I'm gonna take it one day at a time. I have a lot of days before Sunday and I'm gonna see what happens."
Suffering the injury on the first snap of the game, Wagner did the splits while trying to break down to attempt to tackle running back Jamaal Williams on a screen. He crumpled to the turf and laid on his chest momentarily as trainers rushed out to the field, eventually walking off the field under his own power.
Wagner tried to check back into the game before the next play, but officials sent him back to the sideline since injured players are required to miss one play. After he stretched out for a few minutes, coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that "cooler heads prevailed" and the team and player agreed to hold him out in favor of Barton the remainder of the game.
Only three days after being injured, Wagner opened his press conference by thanking those who had reached out to check in on him and credited his yoga routine for avoiding a more serious injury.
"I'm good, ain't gotta worry about nothing, it's not serious," Wagner smiled. "I'm grateful that I do yoga. I just learned that I can do the splits if I want to."
With the Seahawks sitting in last place in the NFC with a 6-10 record and no playoff berth to play for, many veteran players would probably consider sitting out to avoid further harm. Considering his importance to the franchise, there's still a possibility the team may advise Wagner not to play in a meaningless game even if he feels his body may be up for it for that very reason.
But when asked why he would want to play at less than 100 percent for a 6-10 Seattle squad that was eliminated from playoff contention two weeks ago, Wagner stressed the importance of "finishing what you start," believing the best players bring their best and want to compete regardless of circumstances.
"Regardless of how things play out, you never want your circumstances or what's going on around you to dictate whether or not you're going to play or how hard you're going to play," Wagner responded. "Because then I feel like you'll never be good at anything. If you only gave your best when everything was good, then the moment something didn't work out your way, you would probably fold and so that's kind of my mentality."
In part due to comments made by Wagner himself a week ago, there's been plenty of speculation about Wagner's future with the Seahawks beyond this season. On the field, he's remained one of the best linebackers in the game, racking up a team record 170 tackles, five passes defensed, and an interception while earning his eighth Pro Bowl selection.
Set to turn 32 in July, however, Wagner carries a pricey $20-plus million dollar cap hit in 2022. Trading or cutting him before June 1 would create $16 million in instant cap room for the Seahawks, which could be used to accelerate rebuilding efforts coming off a down season for the franchise. With Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton waiting in the wings, the possibility of such a move being made shouldn't be dismissed.
While he has been candid about potentially playing elsewhere next year and understands the NFL is a business first and foremost, regardless of whether he plays in Arizona or not, Wagner doesn't expect Sunday to be his last game in Seattle. He's certainly not wasting energy concerning himself about last weekend potentially being his last game either.
"In my mind, I don't feel like this is my last time putting on a Seahawks uniform. I understand there is a business side to this, but there's a lot of optimism on my end that I'll be back. I'm not worried about it. Obviously, I can't control everything. I can only control my part, and my part on this is I feel like I love this city, I love this team, I love the Seahawks. I always wanted to be a part of a franchise in the good times and bad times and every time. This is a team that I would love to be able to be a part of for a very, very long time."
