Seahawks treatment of K.J. Wright could point to future of Bobby Wagner

This is definitely the time to look forward for the Seahawks. But how Seattle handled K.J. Wright in 2021 could say a lot about how they work with Bobby Wagner this offseason. According to Wright, he did all he could to return to the team. We could hear the same story from Bobby Wagner soon.

Let’s start with a brief history lesson for the three of you who became Seahawks fans last season – bad timing there – and introduce you to the most excellent and sublime K.J. Wright. Wright was basically the Seahawks version of Robin to Bobby Wagner’s Batman. Okay, more like Nightwing, but you get my drift.

Until his last season in Seattle, Wright consistently recorded over 100 tackles for the Hawks. While he was only voted to the Pro Bowl once, I believe that was only because he was overshadowed by the brilliance of his tag team partner, BWagz. Wright was critical to the Seahawks ability to cover the middle of the field. And what was the Achilles heel of the Hawks defense this season? Yep, you got it on the first try.

Seahawks truly needed K.J. Wright this season

Despite the fact that Wright was still performing at a very high level, the Seahawks clearly had other plans for their linebacking corps. Second-year players Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton were expected to play much bigger roles in the Hawks defense. Brooks definitely stepped up and justified all the faith the coaching staff showed in him. Barton saw very limited playing time but acquitted himself quite well when he was forced to step in for Wagner at season’s end. In fact, Barton’s exceptional play could have a major impact on Wagner’s future with the team.

This brings me back to how the Hawks handled the end of K.J. Wright’s time in Seattle. In a great discussion with Raiders teammate Will Compton – and it’s so painful to type Raiders teammate – Wright discussed how he sees the situation. As you can see for yourself in the video, Wright made every attempt to return – even saying he’d accept a reduced role. K.J.’s interview begins at the 32:00 mark.

According to Wright, he called Pete Carroll about returning. Carroll said he hated the situation and would see what he and John Schneider could do. Eventually, they decided that Wright wasn’t worth what he wanted. Appearing on the Jim Rome Show, Wright made it clear that he wouldn’t take a hometown discount. As recounted by Liz Mathews for the Seahawks Wire:

"“I do way too much on the football field to take a discount, it makes absolutely no sense,” Wright said. “If you want to win all these championships and look good on Sundays, you’ve got to compensate your guys that are making plays.”"

I absolutely agree with Wright on this. A player should be paid what he’s worth, not a penny less. He owes nothing more to his organization than they owe to him. Funny how we never hear about the hometown bonus, isn’t it? How players don’t get a bigger contract to reward them for everything they’ve given to the fans for their entire career?

Back to Bobby. Yes, he’s at a different level from K.J. Wright. Not many players are, but Wagner is at a different level from everyone. The Hawks will be playing a very different defense in 2022 for new coordinator Clint Hurtt – and thank God for that. Could they move on from BWagz? Well, they’d save nearly $17 million cap space by letting the first-year Hall of Famer go. That’s a lot of cash that could go toward improving the offensive line. That’s cool, but let’s not repeat the mistake Seattle made with Wright.