The Washington Commanders are finally in the win column, but injuries keep piling up for head coach Dan Quinn's squad. The linebacker position is being especially decimated, leaving the door open for a reunion that would be a grave mistake.
Leo Chenal exited the Commanders' Week 3 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks with a season-ending neck injury during the first half. That leaves Washington extremely thin at inside linebacker with Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee also on the shelf, though the former could be back this week.
Quinn and general manager Adam Peters might be weighing the unsigned free agent market for short-term options as we speak.
Commanders shouldn't be desperate enough to bring back Bobby Wagner
But if they do look for outside help, it should not come in the form of Bobby Wagner.
The Commanders just brought back veteran running back Austin Ekeler, who began the 2026 season unemployed. He could still provide decent production in the right role, given the offensive backfield's struggles through three weeks.
Wagner is a different story.
We all saw it last year. He's old, slow, and severely limited. And the Commanders have no use for him.
Kain Medrano stepped in after Chenal's injury against the Seattle Seahawks and made the play of the game with his fourth-quarter pick-six. He and second-year undrafted free agent Ale Kaho are ready to step up, even if the Commanders choose to sign someone off the street for insurance.
Commanders fans should always appreciate Bobby Wagner, but it's over
If they do, much younger options are available, such as Matt Milano, Germaine Pratt, and Kenneth Murray (currently on the Houston Texans' practice squad). We can leave the 36-year-old Wagner alone.
There's no denying what Wagner was able to bring to Washington.
He, more than perhaps any other veteran player in 2024, changed the culture. Wagner was a consummate professional and beloved leader and teammate in the locker room. During his first season in Washington, he still performed at a high level.
But it all unraveled last fall.
Wagner couldn't keep up in coverage and was targeted as a result. He still had high-volume tackle numbers, but mainly because opposing offenses went right at him.
Overall, he was a liability.
The Commanders don't need Wagner anymore with first-round rookie Sonny Styles slotting into his role and already looking like a future Pro Bowler. And his work in the locker room is already done.
Quinn and Wagner have a tight relationship dating back to their Seattle days, but it's time to let go.
The Utah State product might still have a place somewhere on an NFL roster before it's all over, but not in Washington.
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