Bobby Wagner throws subtle shade at Seahawks front office

To be sure, former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner might never have wanted to leave the team. The team never really gave him a choice. In fact, Wagner returning to Seattle in 2023 almost seems like a minor miracle at this point. His return likely happened because he likes the city of Seattle and 12s rightfully like Wagner.

In 2022, Wagner was unceremoniously released and the communication of the release to Wagner was not clear. He should have been treated better. Possibly, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (and Vice President of Football Operations) and general manager John Schneider were too busy dealing with the aftermath of trading Russell Wilson, which the team had done earlier that day.

That does not mean not reaching out to Wagner directly before news broke of his release was not right. Seattle let go of one sure Pro Football Hall of Famer on March 8, 2022, and that player was not Russell Wilson.

Bobby Wagner feels like Seahawks upper management was part of the issue with him leaving

This offseason, Seattle made a number of changes. Schneider was promoted to President of Football Operations and Carroll was removed from his duties. Seattle hired Mike Macdonald as its new head coach. Macdonald is a brilliant defensive coach whose scheme requires the inside linebackers, of which Wagner is, to cover receivers extremely well. Wagner is an all-time great overall but pass coverage has never been his strength.

Wagner signed this offseason with the Washington Commanders, a team that had hired a former Seahawks defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, as their head coach. Quinn hired another former Seattle DC, Ken Norton, Jr. as his linebackers coach. Wagner has said that Norton was his "favorite coach of all time." Still, had Schneider and the Seattle front office shown Wagner they wanted him back, the linebacker might have returned.

On a recent appearance of the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams, Wagner spoke about how much he appreciated 12s, the city of Seattle, and many of the staffers of the Seahawks organization. But of the front office? Wagner is not such a huge fan.

The linebacker answered the question about Seattle in his normal classy way, however. Wagner said, "My relationship with the city is always amazing. My relationship with the players, and the staff, and the people that work there is always great, (but) I just think that some of the upper management didn't handle things the right way...it's part of the business...I'm not somebody who holds grudges."

There will probably be some 12s, even though they want Seattle to win every game, that will hold a grudge against "upper management" (of which John Schneider is clearly a part) for the team seeing Wagner play for another team again. Maybe he was not a perfect fit in Mike Macdonald's system, but Wagner will always be a part of the Seahawks and is a future Hall of Famer.

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