Seahawks news: Devin Bush's dream come true to play with Bobby Wagner

The Seattle Seahawks have rebuilt their linebacker unit this offseason. And one linebacker, in particular, is psyched about playing with Bobby Wagner. That player would be former Steelers inside linebacker Devin Bush.

Bush was a former 10th-overall draft pick in the 2019 NFL draft. While he hasn't exactly been a bust, he also hasn't lived up to the expectations a 10th-overall pick brings with it. He did start 48 games for Pittsburgh (it would have been more but he had a season-ending injury in 2020) and in 2019 was third in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year. But the torn ACL he suffered early in 2019 seems to have set him back.

Bush has even implied that the injury affected him mentally when it comes to having an ultra-aggressive mindset. Per a Zoom call with reporters in 2021, Bush said, "The biggest part is mental. If I had to make a good example it would be like, if you get bit by a dog who’s to say the next time you go pet a dog?" Moving to the Seahawks from the Steelers might help Bush, who is only 24 years old, get back to where he was as a rookie when he attacked the line of scrimmage with force. A change of scenery can be good sometimes.

Devin Bush playing next to Bobby Wagner should make Seahawks better

But another thing that might really get Bush back to a 2019 level is playing next to a future Hall of Famer. There is no doubt that Bobby Wagner is going to be in Canton one day. But Wagner still plays well enough to be listed on All-Pro teams and he can likely help Bush develop more. Bush himself is aware of this, too. In a Zoom call with reporters who cover the Seahawks this week, Bush discussed this.

"Me and my dad were actually talking about it when I signed with Seattle. Bobby was still out there in free agency, and we were just playing around, saying it was a possibility. Once it happened, it was kind of like a dream come true. I can say that he's a potential Hall of Famer and to be able to play alongside of him, I can't ask for a better situation than that."

Bush is a very good tackler, too. In 2022, he missed just 1.2 percent of his tackle attempts. Missed tackles were a glaring problem for Seattle in 2022 and it needed to be fixed. Adding Bush and Wagner goes a long way towards resoliving the issue.

Watching Bush and Wagner, two true inside linebackers, play off of one another this season should be exciting for 12s. And having Wagner and Bush should make the defense better, and with a better defense the Seahawks should get more victories. And who knows? Maybe a deep run in the playoffs.