Bobby Wagner in record-tying 9th Pro Bowl. Says he’s playing next season. With Seahawks?
Bobby Wagner just made the Pro Bowl for the ninth time. He’s tied with Hall of Famer Walter Jones and Russell Wilson for the most Pro Bowls by a Seahawk in franchise history.
At 33, ending his 12th NFL season, does the middle linebacker playing perhaps the sport’s most physically demanding, punishing position want and expect to play in 2024?
“100 percent,” Wagner said Wednesday, before the NFL announced he’d made another Pro Bowl.
So he’s clear he doesn’t want to retire.
Will he play for the Seahawks in 2024?
When Wagner was set free last offseason by the Los Angeles Rams following his one season playing for them, after the Seahawks had cut him in early 2022, he knew where he wanted to play in 2023.
Now he’s ending his return season with the Seahawks — the team with which he entered the NFL, grew up, won a Super Bowl, became a six-time All-Pro and found what he calls his home in Seattle — Wagner has the third-most tackles in his career this season.
He says he knows he wants to play a 13th season in the league in 2024.
“I mean there’s no might,” he said Wednesday, four days before the Seahawks’ regular-season finale at Arizona. “I never thought anything else outside of that (playing next year).”
There’s no “might” for Wagner because he wants to play next season, past his 34th birthday.
“100 percent,” he said.
Wagner’s contract is ending. When he agreed to come back last spring, he and the Seahawks agreed on a one-year deal. Representing himself, he took Seattle’s $5.5 million guaranteed.
Wagner was asked that, when he signed that deal in March, did he expect to play 2024 with the Seahawks, as well, even though he only agreed to a one-year deal for 2023?
“I didn’t think about that. I didn’t think too far,” Wagner said. “I was just trying to be present in the moment that I had, and try to make the most out of that — and let the cards fall where they may.”
That’s basically putting the ball in the Seahawks’ court to bring him back for next season, beyond his ending contract.
So The News Tribune asked coach Pete Carroll Wednesday if he plans on Wagner being back in the middle captaining the Seahawks defense next season.
“I would hope, yes,” Carroll said. “We would love to have him.”
Devon Witherspoon, Julian Love Pro Bowlers
The Seahawks’ other Pro Bowl selections announced by the league Wednesday evening: cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Julian Love.
Witherspoon, the fifth pick in this year’s draft, makes it two consecutive seasons the Seahawks have had a rookie cornerback make the Pro Bowl. Riq Woolen made it for the 2022 season.
It’s the first Pro Bowl selection for the 25-year-old Love, who played his first four NFL seasons for the New York Giants. He signed a two-year contract worth uo to $12 million with the Seahawks this past spring.
The Pro Bowl selections have become important to players for bonuses in their contracts. There is no Pro Bowl “game” anymore, because the league recognized that had become a farce.
The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will be a two days of AFC vs. NFC skills competitions in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 1 and a flag-football game Feb. 4.
Bobby Wagner’s season
Wagner’s played in 98% percent of defensive snaps and started every one of 16 games for the Seahawks, who are 8-8 and need a win over the Cardinals plus Chicago upsetting the Packers in Green Bay at the same time Sunday (1:25 p.m.) to make the playoffs for the 10th time in 12 seasons.
“It’s incredible he’s played this much, and continued...160-some tackles,” Carroll said.
Wagner has played more than perhaps Carroll expected when the Seahawks’ season began.
In September, days after Wagner had 18 tackles playing all 81 defensive snaps in Seattle’s opening-game loss to the Rams, Carroll was asked if playing 81 snaps is the standard for Wagner this season.
“I don’t know if it is for anybody,” the coach said. “I think it’s a big challenge. If it anybody could ever do it, he could.
“That’s not how we would like it to be. We would like to get it in the 50s.”
Yet Wagner’s snaps have been so high because he and his defense have often struggled tackling to get off the field on third downs, and have absorbed opponent’s long scoring drives of 10-plus plays.
That is why the Seahawks are 8-8 and on the verge of playoff elimination instead of comfortably in the playoff field entering this final regular-season game.
Wagner is second in the NFL with 168 tackles. He needs three tackles at Arizona to set his career high — and pass himself for second-most in Seahawks history for a season (171). If he gets 16 stops Sunday he’s pass teammate Jordyn Brooks for the franchise record of 184 tackles in a season.
Wagner is averaging nine tackles per game in 21 career games against Arizona. That’s his most tackles against any team he’s played at least eight times in his 13 NFL seasons.
Wagner has 3 1/2 sacks this season. That’s his most for the Seahawks since his 4 1/2 in 2016 and five in 2013, the season he and Seattle won the Super Bowl.
He’s been asked to be in pass coverage and deep down the field this season, and opponents have often taken advantage of that. Quarterbacks have completed 82.5% of passes targeting Wagner’s coverage. His passer rating allowed through 16 games is 116.7. Those are his highest numbers allowed in pass defense since at least 2017, per Pro Football Reference.
What Bobby Wagner seeks: Self-improvement
Wagner says he’s not sure if he’s proven anything to anyone at age 33 this season.
And he doesn’t care.
“Um, I’m not sure,” he said. “I feel like as you get older, you realize that the opinions of others doesn’t necessarily matter. It’s more of the opinion of yourself. Because sometimes, you can get lost in that.
“I think that’s kind of what’s happened with younger players. It wasn’t as prevalent why I got into the league of how much you pay attention to social media, how much you pay attention to ESPN and all those different things that have so many different takes. But it’s a roller coaster of feelings. When you have a good game, they talk like you are the best in the world. When you have a bad game, they talkin’ like you are the worst in the world. And if you listen to those things, your opinion of yourself can go up and down.
“So I try my best not to listen to the opinions of others.”
Wagner says he uses the play of Tampa Bay inside linebacker Lavonte David, also 33, as an example and a motivator.
“I always love watching Lavonte play,” he said.
New Orleans Saints captain Demario Davis, 34, is another.
“We kind of stay connected to one another, because we understand as you get older they start calling you ‘old’ and have all these opinions. But you watch those guys, those guys are playing at an extremely high level.
“They always have my love and respect.”
Wagner remains, at the end of this 12th NFL season, focused on self-improvement. On improving his reading of offenses. On taking care of his body with hot yoga and smart eating. On finding new ways to connect with and motivate the Seahawks’ many younger players on a roster that has the most rookies in the NFL.
“You’ve got to speak their language,” Wagner said.
“I feel like if I try to find ways to improve my game, to improve as a leader, everything tends to work out, more times than not.”
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 5:30 PM.
