Ex-Seahawk Wagner ready for ‘fun’ return to Lumen Field

By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times

RENTON — Sunday doesn’t offer Bobby Wagner just an opportunity for a little revenge “playing the organization that you felt gave up on you.”

Wagner said returning to Seattle to play the Seahawks also gives him a chance to walk out of Lumen Field with a lot better feeling than the last time he did on Jan. 2, 2022.

In what turned out to be Wagner’s final home game as a member of the Seahawks, he suffered a knee injury on the first play of an eventual win over Detroit.

“For me, my last time I played there wasn’t a great one,” Wagner said during his regular weekly news conference with reporters in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “So, I’m just blessed to be able to have an opportunity to not have that be my last play at that field.”

Wagner already had a shot at redemption against the Seahawks when they traveled to L.A. in December. Wagner showed what they are missing by picking off one pass and making two sacks as the Rams almost pulled off the upset before the Seahawks rallied for a 27-23 win.

Wagner insisted he didn’t play that game any differently than he has any other this year, and that he wouldn’t Sunday, either.

“Like I said last time I played them, I’m a master of my emotions,” Wagner said.

But not everyone with the Seahawks is convinced.

“I seen him talk a lot of (crap) on the field,” said receiver DK Metcalf. “It meant a lot to him.”

As Wagner’s comment about feeling the Seahawks gave up on him shows, there is at least still some emotion left from his departure and the way it was handled.

Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have apologized for Wagner saying he found out he was being released before the team told him.

“I wish I could have handled things better in that regard from a communication standpoint,” Carroll said in March.

The team made the move to save $16.6 million against the salary cap, replacing him at middle linebacker with third-year player Jordyn Brooks, who is third in the NFL in tackles this year with 161 but suffered a season-ending injury in Sunday’s win over the Jets.

Wagner is 14th in tackles with 133 and has a career-high six sacks and the best grade of any linebacker in the NFL from Pro Football Focus at 90.9, which would be the third-best of his career behind only 2018 (91.7) and 2017 (91.4) if it doesn’t drop.

“He’s playing good ball and doing good stuff,” Carroll said.

Some of his current teammates have made it clear this week they’d like to help Wagner have a good homecoming.

“For somebody to be in a certain situation for as long as they were, to mean that much to a city and a team, the way he was let go wasn’t right, I think,” linebacker Ernest Jones said Monday. “For me, this is a bigger week than most … it’d mean everything for me. … For me, I definitely want to get him this win. I definitely want him to get the last say-so.”

Wagner may always have some issue with his release from the Seahawks, but he has made clear in every interview since his release that he will have nothing but fond memories of his 10 years as a Seahawk, something he reiterated Wednesday.

“That really became like my second home,” said Wagner. “That’s the place like where I grew up. … Twenty-one, on my own, making my own decisions, doing my own thing. I didn’t have parents controlling everything. That’s like really where I grew up. They accepted me, they showed a lot of love, and so I am forever grateful.”

Carroll said he’s certain Seahawks fans will show Wagner more of that love Sunday.

“I just think that’s what’ll happen,” Carroll said of anticipating Wagner getting a positive reaction from fans. “And then if he makes a tackle or something, maybe they don’t give him as much love. … They’ll do the right thing. Whatever it is, they’ll do it.”

Not that Wagner wouldn’t mind making everyone in Seattle unhappy on Sunday and leaving Lumen Field with one more good memory.

“It’s going into a stadium I’ve been thousands of times, played hundreds of times,” Wagner said. “And to be in a position to spoil their playoff hopes is always a good position, something worth playing for. And it will be fun to go back there, be back in front of those fans that have spent so much time. And it should be a fun game.”