The Seahawks’ real interest in bringing back Bobby Wagner now includes John Schneider and Pete Carroll talking to him.
Because the Los Angeles Rams have officially announced Wagner’s release, Schneider acknowledged what he would not and could not the week before when the six-time All-Pro linebacker linebacker was still under contract with L.A.: The Seahawks are talking to Wagner.
“We have been able to now, so Pete and I were able to talk to him the other day, and we had a great, awesome, frank conversation,” Schneider, the team’s general manager, said Thursday during his regular segment with Seattle’s KIRO-AM radio. “So he knows where we are, and we know where he’s at.
“We have so much respect for him personally and professionally, so we were able to talk through some things. And, yeah, we know where it’s going.”
Last week at the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis, multiple league sources told The News Tribune the Seahawks are keenly interested in signing back Wagner after his year away.
Seattle has major issues with both the starting inside linebackers that replaced Wagner during the 2022 season. Jordyn Brooks recently had surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee from January. He is likely to remain out past the start of next season. Cody Barton’s contract expired. He is poised to enter free agency when the market opens Wednesday.
Schneider and Carroll said last week at the combine they couldn’t comment about Wagner then, because he was still officially under contract with the Rams. Saying nothing kept Schneider and Carroll following the NFL’s rules against tampering with players under contract with other teams.
A day later, the Rams announced they were releasing Wagner.
“I love Bobby, you know. He’s meant the world to us and our program and he played particularly well against us (last season, for the Rams),” Carroll said last week at the combine. “So, you know, we’ll see what happens.”
