Three former Seattle Seahawks players and coaches were on the cusp of reaching Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, but the Washington Commanders lost 55-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and linebackers Bobby Wagner and Nick Bellore have strong ties to the Seahawks.
Quinn was Seattle's defensive coordinator from 2013-14 when the team made consecutive Super Bowl appearances, and he was one step away from reaching his fourth (head coach of Atlanta Falcons in 2016) as an NFL coach on Sunday.
Unfortunately, Quinn, along with Wagner and Bellore, fell behind 27-15 at halftime against Philadelphia and weren't able to recover. Washington mustered just eight second-half points on a 10-yard rush from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Wagner's first-ballot Hall of Fame resume is already legendary without another Super Bowl appearance. He is an 11-time All-Pro — including a second-team selection this season with Washington — and a nine-time Pro Bowler with 1,838 regular season tackles.
In the NFC Championship against the Eagles, Wagner finished with nine tackles (tied for team-high) and a tackle for loss. The Commanders defense, however, allowed the most points it has all season in a brutal 32-point loss.
Bellore, who is listed as a linebacker on Washington's roster despite primarily being a special teamer and fullback for the Seahawks, registered one tackle against the Eagles. Bellore appeared on defense in six regular season games but also has primarily been on special teams for Washington.
Washington was in the NFC title game for the first time since the 1991-92 season, the same year they last reached — and won — a Super Bowl. The franchise defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI on Jan. 26, 1992.
