Bobby Wagner played the first decade of his career for the Seattle Seahawks. Over the final years of that run, he was first- or second-team All-Pro for eight straight seasons. To fans, it seemed like he would always be their middle linebacker.
Of course, he wasn’t.
Teams change. Rosters and salary structures require tinkering. Wagner went to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. He was only there for one year before returning to the great northwest, where he led the NFL in tackles during his final season as a Seahawk.
After that, he came to the Washington Commanders. It was a one-year deal. But at 34, Wagner was once again a second-team All-Pro, and general manager Adam Peters signed him to another one-year deal.
It appears all but certain that he will be moving on once again, assuming he chooses to play in 2026. Daronte Jones' arrival as defensive coordinator all but confirms it.
Commanders' new defensive era probably won't include Bobby Wagner
Wagner never seemed like a mercenary. That term may apply a little better to someone like Von Miller, the Commanders’ sack leader in 2025. The edge rusher has more of the hired-gun feeling. He comes in to do a very specific job and, for the most part, has delivered with Pro Football Hall of Fame efficiency.
The Utah State product assumed a leadership role on the team from the moment he came to Washington. That’s partly because of the substantial turnover in the Commanders' entire roster that began as soon as Peters arrived. But Wagner would have been a leader regardless. That’s simply who he has always been.
That is what will make his probable departure so difficult.
He may have only been a Commanders player for two seasons, but his impact goes deeper.
For one thing, he never missed a game in those two years. That makes him one of four Commanders’ defenders who have not missed a game in the last two seasons. The other three — Frankie Luvu, Mike Sainristil, and Jeremy Reaves — are all under 30, but the 35-year-old Wagner played more snaps than any of them.
As usual, Wagner led the team in tackles this season by a mile. He also led the Commanders in tackles for loss and was second in interceptions.
But it was in the locker room and as a mentor where his influence was most profound. He literally showed Washington’s younger players what it meant to be a professional. The future success of players like Sainristil and Trey Amos, Johnny Newton, and especially linebacker Jordan Magee will owe at least a small debt to Wagner.
With Jones looking to shake up the defense and an expected overhaul of the roster, it is virtually impossible to know what shape this unit will take next season. The new hire studied under Brian Flores for several seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, leading fans to believe the Commanders will have a far more aggressive, blitzing defense next year.
Flores’ defenses have usually favored linebackers who can blitz, which Wagner can do. But they also require linebackers who can cover because they are often exposed.
Study the coverage grades for linebackers who have played for Flores, and you’ll find none of them fare well. That’s not always because of their limitations. Sometimes it is simply due to the high-risk, high-reward nature of blitz-happy defenses.
The biggest weakness of Wagner’s game is pass coverage. That dates back to his last few seasons in Seattle, and it has continued to slip as he has gotten older. If Jones does indeed employ a Flores-style strategy, the younger, quicker Magee may be the better bet.
That cold, hard calculation will not make it any easier to say goodbye.
Peters will not get into a bidding war, regardless of whether Jones and many of his teammates might want Wagner back next year. He’ll leave big shoes to fill.
That’s what happened in Seattle when he left. After great success, the Seahawks entered a period of decline. Three years later, they are going to the Super Bowl.
Teams can move on from great players. It just takes some smart moves by management and a little patience from everyone else.