Hogs Haven
A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff
I have known Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright for a dozen years now, which is hard to believe.
For much of that time, Wagner and Wright were linebackers for the Seattle Seahawks during the franchise’s golden years, while I was a young reporter for The Seattle Times and The Athletic.
[T]hey are entertaining as a pair, equal parts complimenting each other and bickering in the way lots of friendships will recognize. Second, I wanted to hear how they navigated the intersection of their personal and professional relationships — how they held each other accountable in the workplace while remaining close away from it.
Today, Wright is an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers in the early days of his coaching career. Wagner is about to enter his 14th season and is the leader of the Washington Commanders.
[KJ] Wright: (Laughs). Bobby [Wagner] had an injured hamstring. I had a concussion that game so I didn’t play. I was sitting there looking at this dude, and he’s limping and hitching on the field before the game. He asked me how he looked. I said, “Uh uh. No, dog, you ain’t right.” He walks away from me. Alright, whatever. Fast forward, the game happens and Todd Gurley runs a little route, and Bobby is still limping and hitching. Gurley scores a touchdown.
I walked up to Bobby, and I don’t know what I said, but I believe Bobby interpreted it as, “You’re costing the team. You’re costing us right now.” Maybe I came off that way. He comes out of the game, and I go into the locker room during the game and follow him. He said something along the lines of: “Bro, get out of my face.”
I didn’t talk to him the Monday after the game, but I think Bobby called me that Tuesday and said: “Bro, I appreciate that. Thank you for being honest.”
Fowler was a tremendous value last season, racking up a team-high 10.5 sacks for Dan Quinn’s defense while playing on a one-year deal for less than $5 million. Fowler was due for a raise and received one from the Cowboys this offseason, while Washington is hoping Dorance Armstrong can step up in his second year with the team after signing a three-year, $33 million deal last offseason. If Armstrong can produce like Fowler did, the change won’t matter much, but Armstrong has never cracked double-digit sacks in his seven-year career.
