Bobby Wagner Suffers Knee Sprain, Status For Season Finale Uncertain

While the Seahawks closed out their 2021 home schedule on a winning note with a 51-29 win over the Lions on Sunday, Bobby Wagner's status for the season finale next weekend remains in limbo after exiting with a knee injury.

Speaking with reporters following the game, coach Pete Carroll indicated Wagner suffered a knee sprain on Seattle's opening defensive drive and he underwent an MRI on Sunday night.

Providing a positive update on Wagner's condition on his weekly radio show on ESPN 710 on Monday morning, Carroll said the perennial All-Pro linebacker "does not have major damage at all" and won't need surgery. However, he will need time to recover and his status for Sunday's finale in Arizona is still unknown.

Defending a running back screen to Jamaal Williams on Detroit's first play from scrimmage, Wagner slipped attempting to change direction and did the splits. After Williams shot past him, he dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back as trainers rushed out to the field to check him out.

Wagner ended up walking off the field on his own power and attempted to check back in the game for backup Cody Barton, only to be sent back to the sidelines by officials telling him he had to sit out one play before returning to play. He stretched on the sideline for a few minutes and though the team listed him as questionable to return, he eventually went to the locker room and didn't play another snap.

"He was gonna come back in the game, he did go back in, then we got him back out and took him back inside just to make sure," Carroll explained. "He just felt like it was better to not go, make sure that we know what's going on with it instead of just going back on the field again."

In his absence, Barton turned in a fine outing, making a key run stop to set up a turnover on downs later on Detroit's first series. The third-year defender finished with seven tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and a pass defensed after replacing Wagner at the middle linebacker spot alongside Jordyn Brooks.

If Wagner isn't able to bounce back quickly and be available for Sunday's finale, though he still has two years left on his contract, it's possible the six-time All-Pro has played his last game in a Seahawks uniform. The 31-year old delved into the possibility on Wednesday, admitting he's thought about the possibility he may not be back after the team struggled to a losing season and could partake in a rebuild this offseason.

Though he led the NFL in tackles entering this weekend and earned his eighth Pro Bowl selection two weeks ago, Wagner is set to carry a cap hit north of $20 million in 2022. That's a steep price tag for a player who will turn 32 years old next summer and will have 10 NFL seasons under his belt, so a tough decision on his future may be looming in coming months.

In additional injury news, Carroll told reporters tight end Will Dissly exited Sunday's game with a bruised heel. Cornerback John Reid also exited to be evaluated for a concussion in the second half and was replaced in the secondary by Michael Jackson. Like Wagner, the status for both players remains uncertain for next week's finale against the Cardinals.