REPORT: Seahawks Fan Favorite Bobby Wagner to 'Test Free Agent Market'
The Seattle Seahawks could lose linebacker Bobby Wagner to free agency ... again. After inking a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams two offseasons ago, Wagner returned to Seattle on a one-year deal last summer.
Wagner responded to his return to the Seahawks with another stellar season while earning Pro Bowl honors for the ninth time in his career as well as being named second-team All-Pro. He tallied a league-best 183 total tackles with 96 solo and 11 for loss while recording six quarterback hits and three passes defended.
USA Today
On Sunday, Ian Rapoport reported on social media that Wagner could be on the move again.
"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. Coming off a career-high 183 tackles, Wagner joins a talented off-the-ball LB group in free agency," Rapoport reported on X.
As the Seahawks usher in the Mike Macdonald era, roster changes have already been made and more are expected.
Seattle has already moved on from Quandre Diggs, Bryan Mone, Jamal Adams and Will Dissly, mainly for salary cap purposes. Wagner was a salary cap casualty when he was released in March of 2022, clearing $16.6 million in cap space.
The 33-year-old is still playing at a high level and would be a productive addition to any NFL roster. But one team stands out that might make Seahawks fans cringe.
Fansided thinks Wagner could bolt for the Seahawks' biggest division rival, the San Francisco 49ers.
"While it seems like Wagner is a guy who should retire with the Seahawks, things are uncertain now in Seattle," Nick San Miguel wrote. "With a new coach in Mike McDonald, he may decide that the team needs to shake things up and get younger. Plus, he does not have any of the nostalgia for Wagner that former head coach Pete Carroll did.
"Plus, newly hired 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen spent many years as an assistant coach with the Seahawks, so he got to see Wagner's greatness up close. Sorensen may want to bring back the veteran with the 49ers uncertain about Greenlaw's status going into next season."
There is also a precedent here going back to 2018 when fan favorite Richard Sherman left Seattle to join San Francisco - a gut punch for Seahawks fans.
