Longtime linebacker Bobby Wagner was released by the Seattle Seahawks. For the first time in his illustrious career, the linebacker had been a free agent after 10 years with the team.

Since March 2022, Wagner had been a salary cap casualty. The 32-year-old then inked a five-year deal with the NFC West division rival Los Angeles Rams less than a month after the Seahawks cut him off.

In spite of this, Wagner continues to show his dedication to the Seattle community by hosting a charity field day earlier this week. Even though he wasn’t pleased with the Seahawks’ decision to let him go, Wagner said at the event that he was eager to continue his career in Southern California, where he was born and raised.

What Bobby Wagner said of his Seahawks departure

“Obviously, there are still feelings there [about being released]. But at the end of the day, I have a different perspective. I think my opinion on it would have been different if I ended up somewhere else. But to have the opportunity to go home and play not far from my family. Like I haven’t played this close to my family since high school [Colony High in Ontario, Calif.].

“I didn’t want to leave Seattle. But if I was going to leave Seattle, home was the next-best thing for me and so being able to be home, like I’m at peace with the situation. But still, any competitor is looking forward to going back to the place that you played that they felt like you didn’t have nothing left and proving them wrong.”

Wagner told Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times