As Bobby Wagner gears up for his first season outside of Seattle, the Rams linebacker recently opened up about the sudden end of his tenure with the Seahawks.
The 32-year-old joined his hometown team in the spring roughly a month after his release from the club where he spent his first 10 NFL seasons. At the time, Wagner’s comments on the situation suggested a possible falling out with the Seahawks after he claimed he was not informed of his release prior to the news going public before later saying both parties could’ve had a “simple conversation” about their future together.
But despite the public perception of there being any lingering hostility, Wagner said Wednesday that is not the case. The six-time All-Pro discussed where things stand with the organization after returning to the city earlier this week to host an event for the King County Boys & Girls Club, a foundation he has regularly worked with since entering the league in 2012.
“Obviously there are still feelings there (about being released),” Wagner said, per The Seattle Times. “But at the end of the day I have a different perspective. I think my opinion on it would have been different if I ended up somewhere else.”
After expressing his excitement over the chance to play close to his family for the first time since high school, Wagner revealed that, while he would have liked to stay with the Seahawks, he is now “at peace” with how things unfolded.
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“I didn’t want to leave Seattle. But if I was going to leave Seattle, home was the next-best thing for me and so being able to be home, like I’m at peace with the situation,” he said. “But still any competitor is looking forward to going back to the place that you played that they felt like you didn’t have nothing left and proving them wrong.”
While Wagner made it clear he carries no ill-will towards his former team, his last comment echoed sentiments he previously shared about wanting to make sure he plays well when the reigning Super Bowl champions face their NFC West rival this coming season. Of course, no one should expect less coming from a player known around the NFL as a consummate professional.
With a trophy case that also includes a Super Bowl ring and multiple Pro Bowl nods, Wagner’s legacy is already all but set in stone ahead of Year 11. But, in his estimation, his time with the Rams will be all about building on what he started with the Seahawks.
“When I played in Seattle, the whole goal was like to leave your mark,” he said. “I didn’t want to just be there and as soon as I retired everybody forget that I played there. I think I’m always grateful for my time and my energy that I gave to the city. I feel like I gave them everything that I have. I felt like we had a lot of good years (and) I was committed to not only the organization but to the city. So it’s unfortunate that I won’t be one of those guys who said they played their whole career with one team. But I’m excited to be able to go home and play in front of my family.”
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