Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson set for first ‘chess match’ as opponents
They spent 10 years on the same team, reading each other from across the line of scrimmage during hundreds of practices.
Six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson helped the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl and four NFC West titles.
But on the same day last March, Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos and Wagner was released, eventually signing with the Rams.
On Sunday at SoFi Stadium, they will face each other in a game for the first time.
Wagner said this week that the matchup would be “an upgraded version” of a noncontact workout in Seattle, in which the pace was full speed but the hitting was not.
“You could never touch him,” Wagner said of Wilson. “He said I would never catch him, so we’ll see.”
Wagner, 32, has been one of the lone bright spots for the defending Super Bowl-champion Rams, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Monday’s 24-12 defeat by the Green Bay Packers.
Wagner has a team-best 119 tackles, five sacks and an interception.
“He’s still one of the most premier players in the league,” said Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett. “You can see his knowledge. You can see how he plays with his eyes, how he uses his vision to be able to match the quarterback and the different concepts.
“He’s seen every concept. … As much as you try to fool him, you can’t. He’s such an intelligent player.”
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Wilson, 34, has struggled during a 4-10 season. He has completed only 60% of his passes, 11 for touchdowns with six interceptions. Wilson went into concussion protocol after a Dec. 11 defeat by the Kansas City Chiefs and was held out of last Sunday’s victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
He will play against the Rams.
“Bobby definitely knows Russell probably as well as anybody,” Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said. “What he’s capable of doing, what he’s capable of not doing … some of the things he doesn’t like, and all those types of things.
“But I’m sure Russell has the same type of stuff on Bobby Wagner. So those two have a nice little chess match.”
Wagner is looking forward to facing Wilson, and he has clear recollections of their playful exchanges as teammates.
“A lot of the trash talk would be like, ‘You lucky you have a red jersey on, we can’t touch you,’ ” Wagner said, referencing the color that denotes hands-off for defensive players. “Now he has a Broncos jersey on so it should be fun.”
Does Wagner possess an advantage, having watched Wilson for so long?
“To an extent,” Wagner said. “When you see somebody for 10 years, you kind of know what they like and what they don’t like.
“But he’s evolved as a player and especially as he moved there, there’s little things that he does differently. … Once you get going and you start hitting and all the other stuff, it slows down. The concepts that he likes and the things he likes to do will come to [the] surface and, hopefully, we’ll be able to take advantage of those things.”
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For all the moments they shared together as teammates, Wagner said what stands out about Wilson is the person, not the player.
“He gets a lot of rap for a lot of things, but he was an extremely amazing person,” Wagner said. “All the stuff that he did in the community every week. I mean no matter what the situation was, he was always at the children’s hospital.
“I know that was inspirational for myself and a lot of the guys. ... Doing all the things that he does to help people on a daily basis. … His generosity, those were some of the things, outside of the play-making and all the fantastic stuff, that he did on the field.”
Etc.
The Rams did not practice Thursday, instead conducting two walk-throughs. ... The Rams designated offensive lineman Chandler Brewer (knee) to return to practice from injured reserve. Receivers Lance Lenoir and Jerreth Sterns were signed to the practice squad.
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