Bobby Wagner was surprisingly fired by the Seattle Seahawks a year ago. However, after just one season with the Los Angeles Rams, the NFL pro returned to Washington and is more than happy about it.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Wagner, explaining his return to the old place of work in an interview with radio station “710 ESPN Seattle” and adding: “I never really wanted to leave.”
The linebacker signed a fresh one-year, $7 million contract in March. According to his own statement, the prodigal son was warmly welcomed when he arrived in Seattle.
“Everyone was thrilled to have me back. Even walking around, going into a store, things like that, you could just feel that there was a lot of love and support.”
Wagner has risen to become a franchise icon with the Seahawks over the years. The team picked him 47th in the 2012 NFL Draft and even won the Super Bowl with the California native two years later. In 2015 it was almost enough for another title when they were only stopped in the final by the New England Patriots.
NFL defender didn’t expect his return
After leaving Seattle, Wagner endured a disastrous season with the Rams. Los Angeles, as the reigning Super Bowl winner, was only able to get five wins. New signing Wagner was one of the few professionals to live up to expectations with six sacks, a career high.
Incidentally, Wagner never expected that he would return to the Seahawks after this horror season. “I thought when I left, that was the end.” Other top performers like Richard Sherman didn’t find their way back to Seattle.
In the offseason, Wagner benefited from the fact that the Hawks had a bottleneck in the linebacker position. Cody Barton left the franchise for the Washington Commanders, while Jordyn Brooks is in danger of missing training camp after tearing his cruciate ligament.