The Seattle Seahawks have now parted ways with the last two remaining members of their team that won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. Those would be quarterback Russell Wilson, who they sent to the Denver Broncos (who Seattle beat in that Super Bowl) earlier Tuesday, and linebacker Bobby Wagner, who they released Tuesday evening. ESPN’s Adam Schefter had that news:
Seahawks informed eight-time All-Pro and Pro-Bowl LB Bobby Wagner, a franchise icon, that they are releasing him, per source.
Wagner arrived in Seattle on the same 2012 day as Russell Wilson and now leaves the same day, too. End of an era in Seattle.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2022
Interestingly enough, this came after Wagner (seen at top on Jan. 2 against the Detroit Lions) tweeted earlier in the day that former Seattle player Richard Sherman was “a prophet,” and then retweeted Sherman’s own tweet on that:
Sherm a prophet
— Bobby Wagner (@Bwagz) March 8, 2022
“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” https://t.co/Neavm4L0NV
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) March 8, 2022
Sherman had quite the split with the Seahawks in 2018. The team cut him that March, and he told ESPN’s Nick Wagoner that November (ahead of his San Francisco 49ers’ first game that year with Seattle) that “I don’t really have a relationship with Russell [Wilson].” That came after ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported in 2017 that there was a growing divide in the Seahawks’ organization, with coach Pete Carroll and Wilson on one side and Sherman and other prominent defensive players on the other side (and many of the arguments still about Wilson’s last-second interception in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015). More of those complaints about Wilson were aired (anonymously) in a September 2018 Sports Illustrated article. So it’s certainly notable to see Wagner now seemingly endorsing at least some of what Sherman said at that point, and to see him cut afterwards.
Granted, this probably is not cause-and-effect. The Seahawks appear to be going into a full rebuild, and a well-paid 31-year-old veteran linebacker probably isn’t the best fit for that. Cutting him now also helps their cap situation, with Schefter noting this saves them $16.6 million off next season’s cap. And this is actually perhaps advantageous for Wagner, as he now can sign with other teams before free agency fully opens. As ESPN’s Field Yates noted, there will likely be plenty of suitors for him given his strong history of play, including eight All-Pro nods.
Bobby Wagner played 10 seasons in Seattle. He was named an All Pro LB in right of those seasons.
One of the game’s very best players and very best leaders. He’s still got plenty left in the tank.
A massive target on the free agent market now available.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 9, 2022
But it is interesting to see Seattle move on from their last two players from Super Bowl XLVII. And to see them move on from both in the same day. At least there were no @Seahawks social media miscues over this one. (Interestingly enough, since that deleted tweet, they now have nothing posted about either Wilson or Wagner. But at least that’s better than posting the wrong thing.)
[Photo from Joe Nicholson/USA Today Sports]
