Richard Sherman did it in 2018, heading from the Pacific Northwest to the division rival in the Bay Area. Could Bobby Wagner follow suit? Ian Rapoport of NFL Media believes it's a possibility, reporting the San Francisco 49ers' interest in the recently-released star linebacker.
"Multi-year Pro Bowler, one of the best players of the last decade, and really the last man standing in this great, great Seattle defense, which won a Super Bowl and were perennial contenders," Rapoport said of Wagner on NFL Network (h/t Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area). "But this is what it's like, unfortunately, for the Seattle Seahawks. Move on from Russell Wilson. Move on from 31-year-old Bobby Wagner. Huge, huge cap number and a big contract.
"But all is not lost. Seattle released him far before free agency. He's going to get significant interest on the free-agent market. ... [D]o not be surprised if he actually stays in the division. ... There's already interest in Wagner from three teams that he played against twice a year while he was in Seattle."
Could former #Seahawks LB and new free agent Bobby Wagner end up back in the division? pic.twitter.com/86ElindQP7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2022
It sounds like the 49ers will have to compete against the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams if they want to add Wagner to their already talented roster. Otherwise, San Francisco may still find itself facing the six-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker twice a year.
The Seahawks made Wagner (6-0, 242) a second-round selection out of Utah State in 2012. He registered 170 tackles, three tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, a sack, five passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble through 16 starts with the Seahawks last season, per Pro Football Reference.
Wagner, 31, has recorded over 100 tackles in each of his 10 NFL seasons.