Bobby Wagner’s Commanders Tenure Nears Its End - Is a Seahawks Reunion on the Horizon?
The Washington Commanders are heading into the offseason with a clear mission: overhaul the roster, get younger, and build for the future. That process, while necessary, comes with some tough goodbyes - and few are tougher than the looming departure of linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Wagner, a future Hall of Famer and one of the most respected voices in any NFL locker room, gave Washington everything he had over the past two seasons. He wasn’t just a veteran presence - he was a tone-setter, a culture-changer, and a key reason why the Commanders made their surprise run to the NFC Championship Game in 2024. That year, Wagner’s leadership helped galvanize a young roster, and his play on the field - even in his mid-30s - remained remarkably productive.
But football is a young man’s game, and the Commanders are clearly pivoting toward a long-term rebuild. That means Wagner, who turns 36 next season, is unlikely to be part of the team’s plans moving forward. If he wants to keep playing, it’ll have to be elsewhere.
And if there’s one place that makes perfect sense for Wagner’s next - and possibly final - stop, it’s back where it all began: Seattle.
A Storybook Ending in Seattle?
There’s growing buzz around the idea of Wagner returning to the Seahawks for a third stint. And honestly, it feels like the kind of move that writes itself.
Wagner already had a brief homecoming in 2023 after a one-year detour with the Rams, and he showed then that he could still contribute at a high level. In Washington last season, he racked up 162 tackles and 4.5 sacks - numbers that suggest he’s still got enough in the tank to be a difference-maker, even if he’s no longer an every-down force.
Seattle, meanwhile, just made a stunning run to the Super Bowl - their first trip back in over a decade. They weren’t supposed to be there.
This was a team seen as a fringe playoff contender, not a championship threat. But here they are, ahead of schedule, and looking to capitalize on their momentum.
Adding Wagner back into the mix wouldn’t be about nostalgia - it would be about adding a savvy, situational linebacker who knows the system and the stakes. With Ernest Jones IV entrenched as the starting middle linebacker under new head coach Mike Macdonald, Wagner wouldn’t need to carry the load. He’d be a rotational piece, a locker room leader, and a mentor to a defense that’s already starting to come into its own.
No Need to Chase Rings - But the Fit Is Right
Wagner doesn’t need to chase a ring. He already has one - and it came in Seattle, back in the Legion of Boom days. But if he’s going to lace up the cleats for one more season, it’s hard to imagine a better setting than the city where he became a legend.
This isn’t about sentimentality for its own sake. It’s about fit, timing, and mutual benefit.
Seattle gets a veteran who can still contribute in spurts and bring invaluable experience to a young locker room. Wagner gets the chance to finish his career on his terms, in front of the fans who watched him grow into one of the best linebackers of his generation.
There’s no official word yet on what Wagner plans to do - whether he’ll retire, test the market, or start packing for the Pacific Northwest. But if this truly is the final chapter of his storied career, a Seahawks swan song would be a fitting, full-circle moment.
And for Washington, it’s another signal that the franchise is turning the page. Wagner’s time in D.C. may have been short, but it was impactful. Now, the Commanders move forward, and Wagner - if he chooses - gets one last ride with the team that made him a star.