History was made in the NHL when Washington's own Alexander Ovechkin broke the league's long-standing all-time goals record, surpassing Wayne Gretzky with his 895th career tally. A remarkable accomplishment from one of the game's all-time greats.
It turns out that Ovechkin is not the only D.C. athlete who could become immortalized in his sport. Should a certain Washington Commanders veteran continue to perform at a high level, an intriguing narrative could find itself emerging in the next couple of seasons.
Bobby Wagner currently sits in fourth place on the all-time NFL tackles leaderboard, needing 221 more to surpass Ray Lewis. This is taking into account combined tackles, a statistic in which the prolific linebacker has led the NFL three times during his career.
On the solo tackle leaderboard, he is 10th, 497 off the top spot.
Even at 34 years old, Wagner has hardly slowed down, recording 132 in his first campaign in Washington last season. Assuming the future Pro Football Hall of Famer stays healthy and productive, he should have a real shot at surpassing Lewis if he plays for another two years.
Wagner has faced rumors of his retirement in the past, which he has emphatically shot down. Should those rumors surface again next offseason, one has to think the appeal of becoming the NFL's all-time leading tackler may be something that draws him back.
Ideally, Wagner will finish out his career, for however much longer that may be, with the Commanders. Even though he will go down mainly as a legend of the Seattle Seahawks, he found a home in D.C. as a veteran presence in the locker room and one of the true defensive leaders.
He has become a quick fan favorite and a mentor to many of the team's younger stars. Wagner's blossoming relationship with quarterback Jayden Daniels, in particular, was heartwarming to see.
The former second-round pick out of Utah State was brought to the Commanders to be part of a full-scale cultural overhaul under Washington's new regime. Wagner accomplished all of that and then some. Aside from Daniels, it can be argued that no other player was more instrumental in turning Washington from 4-13 in 2023 to 12-5 in 2024, with an NFC Championship game appearance to boot.
Wagner will never mean quite what Ovechkin does to D.C. sports, because the "Great Eight" has spent his entire career with the Capitals and built an iconic connection with the city as a result. Nevertheless, it would be quite the sight to see the perennial All-Pro solidify his place atop the NFL's tackling leaderboard.
Doing it in Washington could very well happen.