4 players Seattle Seahawks gave up on too early

I hope I didn't give too much away in the subheading above. No, I do not have former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the list of players that follow. In fact, if I made another list about who Seattle held on to for too long, Wilson might make that one.

None of the players that follow are quarterbacks. That's ultimately a good thing because for most of the last quarter of a century, Seattle has had a good QB at the helm. Matt Hasselbeck to Russell Wilson (except for a year between) to Geno Smith? Other franchises likely wish for that kind of 23-year run.

But what might have made some seasons of Seattle football even better is if they had not given up on some guys too early. Just a player here or three could have made a good Seattle team into a contender. Here are four players who should have stayed.

Former (and now current!) Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner

OK, yes. I am cheating with this one a bit. But the Seahawks are now so aware of the error that had in the 2022 offseason that they needed Wagner to come back in 2023. Wagner, after spending 10 years in Seattle, was released last offseason because his contract was too massive to keep on. While that makes sense, Wagner leaving ultimately doomed the Seahawks' defense, especially when they needed Wagner's leadership the most.

If the Seahawks had thought better of their decision to move on from Wagner, the financial part might not have been such a big deal. Clint Hurtt was entering his first year as defensive coordinator with Seattle in 2022 and Wagner leaving left Seattle's defensive quarterback duties to Jordyn Brooks. Brooks wasn't ready to lead the defense as it turns out, and that calculated risk was just that; A huge risk.

Wagner would have helped smooth the transition for Hurtt into being the DC and Wagner would have helped the young guys on Seattle's defense understand the on-field communication better. One big problem with Seattle's D in 2022 was the poor on-field communication and missed assignments. Oh, and plus Wagner was a complete beast for the Los Angeles Rams last year with 6 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. But now Wagner's back simply because Seattle saw the error in its ways.