LB Bobby Wagner unlikely to re-sign with Seahawks

Wagner is expected to reach free agency this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Rather than simply gauging his value amongst potential suitors, he adds, Wagner is not expected to agree to a new Seahawks pact. 

The 33-year-old intends to continue playing, but he will apparently be doing so outside of Seattle in 2024.

Playing on a one-year, $5.5M deal in 2023, Wagner showed he can still be productive at his age. The nine-time Pro Bowler led the league with 183 tackles (a career high) while remaining a full-time starter alongside Jordyn Brooks. 

The latter is also a pending free agent, and losing both in the same offseason would create quite the vacancy in the middle of Seattle’s defense.

With news that Wagner is likely on the way out, Brooks may end up being the preferred option to retain going forward into 2024. The team used former Steelers linebacker Devin Bush at linebacker this year, as well, and he may be able to step into one of the vacated starting spots, if necessary, though he, too, is currently bound for free agency. 

Another option comes through incoming free agency, as Ravens All-Pro linebacker Patrick Queen is set to be a free agent and could be interested in following his former defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, to Seattle.

As for Wagner, the 33-year-old has continued to prove that age is just a number, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors while leading the league in tackles in 2023. In an extremely talented off-ball linebacker free agent class that includes Devin White, Josey Jewell, Shaquille Leonard, Denzel Perryman, and more, Wagner is still likely to demand a decent price. 

A short deal averaging around $15M per year could be in range as he continues to defy Father Time. His age could pull him down closer to $10M per year, but with the inflating prices at the position and his continued recent excellence, big money is not out of play.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.