Getty SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 02: Bobby Wagner #54 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on before the game against the Detroit Lions at Lumen Field on January 02, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Owning an NFL team is one of the biggest investments in professional sports. While few former players have ever become majority owners in an NFL franchise, a former Seattle Seahawks legend is hoping to get an ownership stake in a team once his playing days are over.
Jourdan Rodrigue from The Athletic reported that former Seahawks linebacker and eight-time Pro Bowler Bobby Wagner expressed interest in owning an NFL team once he retires. Not only that, but front office members of his new team, the Los Angeles Rams, have already reached out to him about how to help him make that dream a reality.
Bobby Wagner wants to own and run a team someday, after he is done playing. He says that people on the Rams’ business/personnel side have already reached out to him to see how they can support him on that journey and get him involved even as he balances football in the present.
The 31-year-old linebacker had played with the Seahawks since 2012, but signed a new deal with the Rams this offseason. According to Spotrac, the deal was worth $50 million over five years, so it might be a while before Wagner actually hangs up his cleats and starts looking into ownership.
Bobby Wagner’s Ownership Dreams
Wagner’s on-field resume speaks for itself. After being taken in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Wagner became a star around the league and one of the greatest defensive players in Seahawks history. His accolades include eight Pro Bowl appearances, six First-Team All-Pro selections, a Super Bowl ring, and a selection onto the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
Off the field, Wagner has become one of the most vocal entrepreneurs among current professional athletes. This started when he represented himself instead of hiring an agent for contract negotiations.
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According to Front Office Sports, Wagner began representing himself in 2015, and has since successfully negotiated two contract extensions with the Seahawks and a lucrative deal in free agency in 2022 with the Rams. Those three deals are reportedly worth nearly $150 million, with Wagner saving a significant cut of his earnings by not hiring an agent.
In 2020, Wagner co-founded Fuse Venture Partners in order to begin investing in startups. He has invested in companies including DraftKings and Denali Therapeutics and continued to focus on utilizing his business degree from Utah State.
With his background in business and exceptional football career, it makes sense why Wagner hopes to run a team someday.
Other Professional Athletes Who Have Become Owners
There are plenty of examples of retired professional athletes who have joined ownership groups and taken control of minority stakes in franchises. In fact, one of Wagner’s former teammates recently did just that.
Marshawn Lynch became a minority owner in the Seattle Kraken, the city’s expansion NHL team, back in April. He joined the ownership group to represent the city that loved him during his playing days, joining recording artist Macklemore in the ownership group.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes hasn’t even retired, but is already a part owner in the Kansas City Royals, the city’s Major League Baseball team.
Other famous owners include Magic Johnson as part of the ownership group for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Jordan with the Charlotte Hornets, and even LeBron James with an ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group, the ownership group that owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC.