Thanks to a groin injury sustained in Seattle's season opener, linebacker Bobby Wagner spent his Monday night like most football fans, watching the Seahawks play the Chicago Bears on TV with his friends.
Wagner watched Seattle's 24-17 loss to the Bears with K.J. Wright, who was out with a knee injury, as well as Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor, who both were unable to return from neck injuries sustained in 2017. And like any other fan, Wagner occasionally caught himself yelling at the TV as if that might alter events taking place 1,700 miles away.
"It sucked to sit there and watch the team play and not be able to do anything," Wagner said prior to taking part in practice for the second straight day, a strong indicator that he will play Sunday. "… I'm definitely a guy that yells at the TV. You call out plays and think that they're going to hear you say what you called out. I was watching it with Cliff and Kam and those guys, so we were all just yelling at the screen, it was fun."
It was difficult for Wagner, who hadn't missed a game since 2015, to be a spectator on Monday night, but as last year taught him, playing in every game, regardless of injuries, isn't always the best thing for him or the team. While playing at a level that had people talking about him as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Wagner injured his hamstring midway through last season and played through it for a while without issue, but he eventually aggravated the injury in Seattle's Week 14 game at Jacksonville. Despite having to come out of that game, Wagner made it back the following week to start against the Rams, though he can now admit that might not have been the best idea.
"I just had to trust the trainers," Wagner said. "Last year I kind of was in the same situation when it came to my hamstring and I can't necessarily say that I trusted the trainers in that situation, and it kind of lingered for the last eight games. It wasn't something that I wanted to do again, so I made the grown-up decision and did the right thing this time.
"I just don't like missing games, I don't like watching. I felt like (last year's hamstring injury) was something that I could manage, and I can deal with and I wanted to be out there for my teammates and I felt like I could help. I felt like I fared pretty well up until the Jacksonville game. I think that's when it really got worse and then it kind of lingered into the Rams game, which, you know, if you watched the film you can see that. Kind of dealing with that, I just didn't want to do that again. I was smarter this time, I feel great and I'm excited to get out there."
After being held out of last week's game, Wagner says he's feeling even better now than he did before the injury, and his return comes at a good time as the Seahawks are about to host the Dallas Cowboys and Pro-Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott.
"Zeke's one of the best running backs in the game," quarterback Russell Wilson said. "He's tough. He can run the ball really well. He's physical. I know Bobby will do everything he can to make sure he brings him down pretty quickly."
Yet as happy as everyone will be to see the three-time first-team All-Pro linebacker back on the field Sunday, it's also worth noting how well his replacement, Austin Calitro, played while filling those big shoes, recording a team-high nine tackles on what was a strong overall performance for the defense.
"I was very impressed," Wagner said of Calitro's first NFL start. "Especially after that first drive, I felt like everybody was making their tackles, especially A.C. Austin, he did a great job. There was a part in the game where you kind of picked the sound up (on TV) and you hear him making the calls and things like that. Just to see the command that he had was pretty cool to see. I was excited when they were on the field."
And after an 0-2 start, Wagner, like the rest of his teammates, know now is the time to get the season going in the right direction. Wagner is confident the Seahawks can do just that, both because of the talent he sees around him in Seattle's locker room, and because he has been in the NFL long enough to know that a fast start doesn't guarantee playoff success, just as a slow start doesn't rule it out.
"I'm not going to give no cliché, you don't want to be 0-3," Wagner said. "We're definitely going to come out—I look at it as we're coming back home; you want to win every game at home. This is our first opportunity to be at home and give our crowd something to cheer for. We're going to come out, we're going to do our thing, I'm not worried about it. Through my career, we've started all type of ways. We started really good, we started 1-4. We started all types of ways, it really doesn't matter, which is why we've been successful towards the end of the season. I think it's just that mindset of understanding it's a long season. Understanding that there's a lot of teams that start hot and don't finish that way. You would rather be the team that starts slow but finishes fast than the team that starts 7-0 but doesn't make the playoffs.
"I think that we're close. I do think that we have a lot of pieces in place. We've just got to grind, we've got to work. This is not going to be easy. I think that's what the young guys are learning, this game is not easy. Nobody's just going to roll over and let you win because you have Seahawks in your name, and so we have to just bring it."
The Seahawks and Cowboys face off on Thursday Night Football, Nov. 30, 2023. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PT. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the Cowboys.
Seattle Seahawks receiver Joey Galloway (84) pulls in a 44-yard touchdown pass as Dallas Cowboys' Kevin Smith (26) defends on the play during the second quarter in Irving, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 22, 1998. (AP Photo/Bill Janscha)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman (8) runs for a first down against Seattle Seahawks defenders Chad Brown (94) and Michael Sinclair (70) during the third quarter in Irving, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 22, 1998. The Cowboys won 30-22. (AP Photo/L M Otero)
Seattle Seahawks' Darrell Jackson (82) grabs a long fourth-quarter pass as Dallas Cowboys' Darren Woodson defends, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2001, in Seattle. The Seahawks scored on the next play and won, 29-3. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith (22) goes down after crashing through the Seattle Seahawks line for an 11-yard run during the fourth quarter. Sunday, Oct. 27, 2002, in Irving, Texas. In the background is Seahawks corner back Ken Lucas (21). (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Seattle Seahawks' Rashad Moore (95) tries to knock down a pass by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Vinny Testaverde in the second quarter Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, in Seattle. The pass was incomplete. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson (82) eludes a tackle from Dallas Cowboys strong safety Lynn Scott and runs for a 35-yard pass reception that set up a two-yard touchdown reception by Jackson on the next play in the first quarter Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, at Qwest Field in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Ryan Hannam (83) comes up with the ball after catching a 1-yard touchdown pass to tie the score in the fourth quarter as Dallas Cowboys' Scott Shanle lays on the ground during the fourth quarter in Seattle, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005. The Seahawks won 13-10 with a field goal in the last seconds of the game. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) scrambles away from Dallas Cowboys' Jason Hatcher in the second quarter in an NFC wild-card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo, right, botches the hold on a 19-yard field goal-attempt by Martin Gramatica as the Seattle Seahawks defend with 1:19 left in an NFC wild-card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, in Seattle. Romo was forced to grab the ball and run, but was stopped at the 2. The Seahawks won, 21-20. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo rolls over after fumbling on a hit by Seattle Seahawks' Ken Hamlin, right, with Grant Wistrom (98) picking up the ball behind during a botched field goal-attempt with 1:19 left in the game in an NFC wild-card playoff football in Seattle, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007. The Seahawks went on to win, 21-20. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Ken Hamlin celebrates after a botched Dallas Cowboys field goal-attempt by the Cowboys with 1:19 left in the game in an NFC wild card playoff football in Seattle, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007. Behind is kicker Martin Gramatica (7). (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Jordan Babineaux celebrates after stopping Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo following a botched field goal attempt late in an NFC wild-card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, in Seattle. Babineaux has earned his teammates' nickname "Big Play Babs after a last-second play against Dallas last season, then the tackle of Romo that saved the Seahawks season. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo scrambles away from the Seattle Seahawks defense during an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Seattle Seahawks safety Deon Grant (24) makes a tackle on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton (84) following Crayton's reception in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch jumps over Dallas Cowboys' Gerald Sensabaugh as the Cowboys' Alan Ball moves in for the tackle during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)
Seattle Seahawks players break up a pass intended for Dallas Cowboys' Miles Austin, center, in the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) runs for a touchdown as Dallas Cowboys strong safety Jeff Heath goes down after missing the tackle in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks Doug Baldwin, right, blocks a punt by Dallas Cowboys punter Chris Jones that was run in for a touchdown by Seahawks' Mike Morgan in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Scott Eklund)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) finds running room as Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy (76) gives chase during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) gains yardage after a pass as Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Carr (39) gives chase in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) catches a touchdown pass in front of Dallas Cowboys' Chidobe Awuzie (33) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, file photo, Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson rushes against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL football game in Seattle. Carson rushed for 102 yards in the game. In consecutive weeks, the Seahawks produced 100-yard rushers. The novelty was it being two different backs, neither of which was rookie first-round pick Rashaad Penny. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Seattle's Jacob Martin brings down Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.
Captains for both teams meet at midfield for the opening coin toss.
Seattle's Doug Baldwin manages to keep both feet inbounds on this 22-yard reception in the third quarter to keep a drive alive.
Seattle special teams captain Neiko Thorpe keeps the ball from entering the end zone on a Michael Dickson punt and the Cowboys took over at the two-yard line.
Seattle's Mike Davis spikes the ball after scoring on a successful two-point conversion.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) walks off the field at CenturyLink Field following an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf atoned for an earlier fumble with this 29-yard touchdown reception from Russell Wilson.
Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett breaks for more yardage after a second quarter catch.
Seahawks safety Ryan Neal, called up from the practice squad on Saturday, intercepts a pass in the end zone to seal Seattle's 38-31 win over the Cowboys.
Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin flies through the air after an interception in the second quarter.
Seattle's Benson Mayowa recovered a Dak Prescott fumble and returned it to the Dallas five-yard line at the beginning of the second half.
Seahawks Jamal Adams and Jordyn Brooks hit Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott just as he releases the ball on a pass in the first quarter.
Seahawks receiver Penny Hart catches a 35-yard touchdown pass from Drew Lock in the first quarter.
Seahawks defender Myles Adams hits Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush as he releases the ball resulting in a QB hurry and incomplete pass.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock looks to the end zone.
After the game, Seahawks star receiver DK Metcalf and Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons exchanged jerseys.
