Seahawks' Wagner on holdouts: Defensive players 'have to make a stand'

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is standing up for his fellow defenders as several of the league's biggest stars remain in prolonged contract holdouts.

"You see it a lot right now from the defensive side. You have amazing players that are not getting paid ... and I think at some point you have to make a stand," Wagner said, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.

Among those holding out is Wagner's teammate - safety Earl Thomas. Wagner says Thomas' body of work through eight seasons should speak for itself as the six-time Pro Bowler tries to get an extension before entering the final year of his current contract.

"It's hard to really tell somebody like that what to do because does he deserve to get paid? I mean, look at him," Wagner said of Thomas. "All Pro, Pro Bowls, best safety in the league. ... You don't know how many more years you've got. So you've got to make sure you take care of the business side. And unfortunately sometimes that comes in the way of playing on the field."

Related: Wilson understands Thomas' holdout: NFL 'isn't just fun and games'

Thomas, a three-time All-Pro, is due to be paid a base salary of $8.5 million in 2018 if he doesn't get a new contract, and the 29-year-old will reportedly sit out until a deal is done. He's facing over $1 million in team fines for his absences thus far.

Wagner said he understands Thomas' hard stance.

"It's an interesting thing. You want him to be here. I want him to be here. But at the same time too, there's a business side of this thing, and sometimes that takes over what you should be doing."

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