Seattle Seahawks legend Bobby Wagner apparently liked his first year playing on the East Coast. The team he played for, the Washington Commanders, clearly liked having him. Therefore, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when Washington and Wagner agreed to another contract shortly before he was scheduled to hit free agency.
The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer inked a straightforward one-year deal that will pay him $9.5 million. That constitutes a nice raise from the $6.5 million he received in 2024. Commanders' coach Dan Quinn, who was Wagner’s defensive coordinator with Seattle in 2013-2014, obviously considered it money well spent.
Wagner [was brought in as part](https://12thmanrising.com/seahawks-letting-bobby-wagner-leave-in-free-agency-was-still-right-move-01jbjdcrfvbc) of a massive defensive overhaul designed to pump new life into the worst defense in the league in 2023. He joined fellow free agent Frankie Luvu as the two primary linebackers in defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr’s 4-2-5 base alignment. The initial thought was that Wagner would provide veteran stability alongside the mercurial Luvu while mentoring his potential successor, 2024 draftee Jordan Magee.
No chance that Bobby Wagner returns for a second time with the Seattle Seahawks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wagner simply did what he has basically done throughout his entire 13-year career. He started every game and recorded 132 tackles. He and Luvu were both named second-team All-Pros. For Wagner, it was his 11th straight season being honored with a first or second-team All-Pro designation. The Commanders' defense rose from dead last to the middle of the pack.
Jordan Magee was injured in the pre-season and barely played on defense during his rookie year. Quinn did not seem convinced that he was ready to step into Wagner's shoes in 2025, so Commanders’ GM Adam Peters began discussing one more year with Wagner.
Had he hit free agency, it is likely a number of teams would have tried to sign him, despite his age. The Los Angeles Rams, who snapped him up for one year after [Seattle cut him loose in 2022](https://12thmanrising.com/this-seahawks-starter-is-on-chopping-block-after-tyler-lockett-release), were reported to be very interested in a reunion.
Who knows? It still may happen. The ageless linebacker may have slowed a bit, but he remains among the fiercest and most productive defenders in the league. He’ll have to retire at some point. But it won’t be in 2025.
When he signed with Washington, Wagner enrolled in an MBA program at DC’s Howard University. Washington fans hoped that this connection – along with a chance to play another season with Jayden Daniels and one of the brightest up-and-coming teams in the league – would be enough to keep him a Commander.
That, along with $9.5 million, seems to have done the trick.
### More Seahawks news and analysis: