Seahawks' Bobby Wagner plans on becoming the NFL's highest-paid linebacker

Wagner is representing himself in negotiations with the Seahawks, and potentially other teams down the road

Earlier this offseason, the New York Jets made former Baltimore Raven C.J. Mosley the highest-paid linebacker in football, and by a not-insignificant amount. New York gave Mosley a five-year deal worth a maximum of $85 million, guaranteeing $51 million of that total. 

Among all inside linebackers, the $85 million total on Mosley's deal ranks first by around $23 million million, and the $51 million in guarantees outpaces the field by nearly $17 million, according to Spotrac. Mosley's $17 million average annual value on his deal is $3.5 million ahead of the next-closest player, Kwon Alexander, who himself surpassed Luke Kuechly's $12.36 million AAV this offseason.

But if Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner gets his way, Mosley will not be the league's highest-paid linebacker for much longer. 

"That's the top (of the) linebacker market," Wagner said, per the Seattle Times. "That is the standard. And so that is the plan to break that."

Wagner is headed into the final season of a four-year, $43 million contract extension, with an AAV that ranks fourth among players at his position. This will be his age 29 season, and he is still playing at an incredibly high level, and carries major importance to the Seattle defense. 

Still, Wagner does not plan to hold out in order to get his new contract.

"I'm a professional," Wagner said. "This is what it is. As of right now, my contract ends at this year so that's where it stands. I am honoring the contract, I am here, participating, helping the young guys to be the best they can be. So I am here and that's what I want to do, this is my decision, so as of right now there is no other years for me left here so that was just a very honest opinion that if I don't get a deal done, that's it (in Seattle). But I believe there is something that can happen."

Wagner is representing himself in contract negotiations, electing to go without an agent.

"I know my value," he said. "Nobody has to tell me my value. I know my value, so no team, no person, no agent, can tell me my value, and I believe in myself. I bet on myself, and either way to me it's a win. You get a contract, you win. You don't, it's a learning experience, so you win. A lot of people are not willing to take that chance. I am."