Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is slated to hit free agency this offseason, but will he consider returning to the Seahawks?

Seattle parted ways with long-time head coach Pete Carroll after the season, which some feel may influence Wagner’s free-agent decision and push him to sign elsewhere.

However, the star defender says that Carroll’s departure will not affect what he does in March.

“No, it doesn’t affect anything,” Wagner said, via Grant Gordon of NFL media. “I want to keep playing ball. I want to keep showing I can play at a high level. I’m fortunate enough to be around a lot of these guys, but also guys like Ray Lewis and Peyton Manning and those guys, stealing knowledge from them, talking about how they were able to last as long as they did, so I’m excited about that, just figuring out what that looks that.”

Wagner played in every game this season and led the NFL with 183 tackles, marking the third time he has led the league in that category. He also added 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery en route to his ninth Pro Bowl nod.

However, just because Wilson says the Seahawks’ decision to move on from Carroll won’t sway him does not mean he was not surprised to see him go.

“Of course, obviously, because when you think of Seahawks, you think of Pete Carroll,” Wagner said. “It’s natural, because he’s been there for I believe 14 years. And so, not seeing that face connected to the Seahawks is always going to be surprising. It was the same thing with Bill Belichick; when you think of Patriots, you think of Bill Belichick. But you know the time was coming at some point.”

Wagner has spent 12 years in the NFL, with 11 of them coming in Seattle across two different stints. He entered the league as a second-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2012 and spent the first decade of his career in the Pacific Northwest, helping the team win a Super Bowl during his second season.

The 33-year-old then spent one year with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 before returning to Seattle.

In addition to all of his Pro Bowl appearances, Bobby Wagner has also earned six First-Team All-Pro selections.

The Seahawks went 9-8 and missed the playoffs this season.

Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.