Future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner performed well during his two-year stint with the Commanders over the 2024-25 seasons. He wants to continue his playing career in 2026, but he will be entering his age-36 campaign, and it sounds as if Washington is content with its existing LB corps.
As ESPN’s John Keim writes, while the Commanders are open to bringing Wagner back for another year, that likely will happen only if another player on the depth chart suffers an injury and creates a pressing need. The same is true of fellow 35-year-old and two-year Commander Zach Ertz. This offseason, Washington signed TE Chig Okonkwo to join incumbents John Bates and Ben Sinnott, so it appears as if Ertz – whose situation is further muddied by a December ACL tear – will only be back with the club if there is an injury to one of those players.
With respect to their linebacker room, the Commanders authorized a notable contract for former Chief Leo Chenal, and they are returning Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee. Per Keim, Washington is encouraged by what it has seen from Magee, a 2024 fifth-rounder, despite the fact that he appeared in just under one-third of the team’s defensive snaps last season after playing almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie. In 2025, neither Magee nor Luvu fared particularly well in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, which assigned them subpar grades of 54.9 and 53.7, respectively.
Wagner, by contrast, landed an overall mark of 78.6, the ninth-best score in the NFL among 88 qualified ‘backers. Of course, his surface-level results were typically stellar, as he finished fifth in the league in tackles (162) and eighth in pressures (20). He was one of just two players to record at least 150 tackles and miss fewer than 10, and he amassed nine QB hits, eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and two interceptions. The highly-durable defender also started all 17 games, all of which suggests he will still be productive in ‘26.
The Commanders, however, appear willing to let the six-time First Team All-Pro seek another opportunity as they examine their younger options. If there is a change of circumstances and Wagner remains unsigned, they may circle back.
“He’s like the most remarkable player and leader,” head coach Dan Quinn said of Wagner. “I wanted to make sure I said how important he was to me to come here together [in 2024], like what standards could look like. And then yes, like what [GM] Adam [Peters] said to him and some others, ‘We’re going to leave the door open, and we’ll see what that looks like over the time ahead.'”
As of the time of this writing, there has been no publicly-reported interest in Wagner (the Cowboys have not pursued him despite casting a wide net in their search for LB help). The longtime Seahawk and member of the 2,000-tackle club has played for the Commanders on consecutive one-year deals worth a combined $14MM. A similar pact could be in store for 2026, but with nearly $120MM in career earnings, a legitimate opportunity for a second Super Bowl ring may be Wagner’s primary focus at this stage of his career.