Bobby Wagner will return to Seattle on the 18th day of NFL play. The Rams star will do so against the franchise he played ten seasons with before being released in 2022. Ahead of the emotional clash, the 32-year-old looks back

The Los Angeles Rams face the Seattle Seahawks away from home on Matchday 18 of the NFL. For many a division duel between two rivals, for Bobby Wagner a “game full of emotions”, as he revealed at the press conference beforehand.

The Rams linebacker returns to Lumen Field in Seattle for the first time. Against the team that, in his own words: “gave up on him”. To the stadium where the 32-year-old played for the ‘Hawks from 2012 to 2022.

Seahawks let defensive legend Wagner go

During that time, Wagner developed into one of the best defenders in franchise history, was the last remaining part of the famed “Legion of Boom”. The Seahawks defence that, among other things, secured the Super Bowl victory in 2014.

Wagner appeared in the Pro Bowl seven times for the Seahawks and yet general manager John Schneider, in consultation with head coach Pete Carroll, decided to let Wagner go in March 2022 without a new contract offer.

The linebacker feels “no hate” about the decision as such, but felt the “manner” in which he was let go was unworthy. On Twitter, as well as in the booth, Wagner expressed that he felt he was treated “disrespectfully” when he left. At the time, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter announced Wagner’s departure before the team officially did. The player likely knew about the plans before the final Seahawks decision that he should leave.

Bobby Wagner: Seahawks manager Schneider admits mistakes

GM Schneider took responsibility for that shortly after the split in March. “Yeah, that’s my mistake. That’s on me. I wish I had handled the situation differently in terms of communication at the time. I owed him that, the organisation owed him that.”

Coach Carroll tried to support Schneider and also took partial blame for trying too long to find a way to keep Wagner. Which he desperately wanted to do. This, he said, had led to the decision only being delayed and rumours swirling.

Another problem was that Wagner was representing himself in the negotiations. He doesn’t have an agent acting as a middleman. That obviously took away a strategic factor for the Seahawks to better deal with the Wagner issue, as they had to tell the player everything directly and it led to a strange dynamic in the talks.

“We talked to him. We went through a lot of processes and possibilities. So it’s not like we haven’t talked to him at all. We have too much respect for him for that. In the end, a new deal also failed because of timing,” insisted manager Schneider. So both he and Carroll confirmed a few weeks after Wagner’s exit that he deserved “better”.

Los Angeles Rams give Wagner long contract

With the Los Angeles Rams, Wagner signed a five-year contract and was confronted with the Schneider statements. He called the explanation that it was a problem that he represents himself “weak” and admitted it was the “cherry on top” that he moved to the division rival to face the Seahawks twice in one season. But it wouldn’t be the main reason he went to coach Sean McVay’s team.

In the first meeting in Week 13, Wagner played outstanding with two sacks and an interception against the Seahawks in Los Angeles. The Rams won 27-23 and Seahawks receiver Metcalf noted, “He’s having a great season, it felt like he was all over the field.”

While the Rams, as reigning Super Bowl champions, have nothing to do with a playoff spot, the Seahawks need a win to clinch it. “It’s going to be a game in a stadium I’ve played in a thousand times. To be in a position to destroy their playoff aspirations is always a good position. It’s worth playing for. It will be fun to go back there and see the fans I spent so much time with. You don’t play against just anyone, you play against your family. There’s bound to be trash talk,” Wagner states with a grin.