Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner were the last two Seattle Seahawks standing from the team’s 2013 championship.
Members of the 2012 draft class, Wilson became the face of the offense — and really the entire team — due to his status as quarterback. And Wagner similarly established himself as a staple of the defense, even through all the star power it was loaded with the last decade.
The Seahawks decided to part with both this offseason, marking the official end of an era. And if there were any players on that roster who deserved the utmost courtesy on the way out, it was them. But according to Wagner, the Seahawks never even let him know he wasn’t being brought back.
Crazy part about all this. I played there for 10 years & I didn’t even hear it from them that I wasn’t coming back.
— Bobby Wagner (@Bwagz) March 11, 2022
It’s been said how cold a business sports can be sometimes, but this is just another reminder.
Wagner made the Pro Bowl in eight of his 10 years with the Seahawks. He’s a six-time All-Pro and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. He has more tackles than anyone in the NFL since he entered the league. Unlike Wilson, he was not rumored to have wanted out of Seattle.
The Seahawks are about to undergo a rebuild that someone of his stature doesn’t make sense being a part of, so releasing him made all the sense in the world. But at the very least, he deserved a phone call to let him know he wasn’t a part of the team’s future plans.
It sounds like Seattle dropped the ball there, and people were sad to hear that.
https://t.co/24VJLDiZyD pic.twitter.com/UFEVi11ofd
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) March 11, 2022
Unless there was some sort of miscommunication, this is extremely disappointing to hear from a franchise legend….. https://t.co/1sUk8anNGq
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 11, 2022
This isn’t right. Hate to see business done this way but especially to Bobby. He is so universally loved by players and his teammates. He gave everything to Seattle, and he absolutely deserved the same thing back. https://t.co/FD2aoVHa5p
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) March 11, 2022
reason 247948 why I’m blown away every time fans side with management on damn near anything. https://t.co/OvlaWyAcnx
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) March 11, 2022
It’s unclear how Wagner found out about his release. Probably through his agent, or maybe on social media like the rest of us found out. Whatever the case, it wasn’t the right way. The Seahawks should be ashamed of how they handled this.
