Bobby Wagner knew before the trade leaked out that Russell Wilson was going to the Denver Broncos this offseason.
Why? Because Wilson was recruiting him to Denver.
The Broncos pulled off a blockbuster this offseason by swinging a trade for Wilson, who previously had spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Seahawks had said they weren’t planning to trade him not long before he eventually was moved, there had long been trade rumors surrounding the quarterback.
And as things heated up, he apparently touched base with Wagner about possibly following him, the linebacker revealed Tuesday on the "Rich Eisen Show".
“The funny thing was, he actually called me a few days before, maybe even a week before," Wagner said. "And he just asked me what were my thoughts about going there. And I was just like, ‘I don't have any thoughts, my heart is in Seattle,’ so I ain't really went that far. And so I knew that it was really close for him to call me and kind of to ask me a question like that. …
"I'm not sure the exact time, but (the conversation) happened before (the trade) happened. I knew there was a chance that that was gonna happen, so I was like, ‘Okay, well, he's probably leaving, so I should probably get prepared, for sure.'"
Wagner’s release from the Seahawks was well-documented because he said he found out about the news from sources other than the team itself. He indicated to Eisen that he knew it was possible he would be out, but it sounds like the Wilson trade was as sure a sign as ever that he could be a casualty if the Seahawks' slew of changes.
Ultimately, it was a messy ending for someone who was at the front of some of the best years in Seahawks history. Now, he’ll return home to play for the Los Angeles Rams, where he’ll team up with an elite defense that features Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
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