The Washington Commanders got one of their leaders back for another season when 10-time Pro Bowler Bobby Wagner re-signed with them.
Wagner, who joined the Commanders during Dan Quinn and Adam Peters' first offseason together, quickly established himself as one of the defense's key pieces through his production and mentorship. He started in 17 regular season games and totaled a team-leading 132 tackles with 2.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, four passes defensed and two fumble recoveries. He recorded his 13th straight season with at least 100 tackles, joining London Fletcher as the only other player to record 100-plus tackles in at least 13-straight seasons in NFL history.
A player of Wagner's caliber normally has several options for the next steps of their career, but the future Hall of Famer chose to stay with Washington. Here are three factors that played a part in his decision.
1. He had already made up his mind.
Wagner didn't think much about other options as he began considering where he wanted to play in 2025. He would have figured it out had the Commanders not shown interest in bringing him back -- after all, he showed last season that he could still be a starter and play at a high level -- but he didn't want to think about that until he needed to do so.
Fortunately, that moment never came for Wagner; he was confident that there was mutual interest in continuing his career in the DMV.
"I just love what we're building here," Wagner said. "I love the team. I feel like this is the place."
Wagner got to play a part in helping Quinn and Peters turn the Commanders from a team in need of recalibration into a conference championship contender. He saw the roster Quinn and Peters constructed handle the successes, like jumping out to a 7-2 start, as well as the failures that came with their three-game losing streak. They learned lessons from each scenario and used them as springboards to improve. In Wagner's experience, teams that manage to do that are normally the ones that make the playoffs and consistently compete for Super Bowls.
That maturity helped the Commanders get to the NFC Championship, and Wagner wants to be part of wherever they're headed next.
"As long as we learn and stay together, we'll have another special season," Wagner said.
2. He has a strong bond with Dan Quinn.
Quinn and Wagner had tried to work together prior to connecting in Washington, both when Quinn was the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator and the Atlanta Falcons' head coach. Nothing ever materialized from those efforts, but their bond that spans back to their days with the Seattle Seahawks has never wavered.
"It's an amazing bond," Wagner said. "The belief that he has in me, the belief that he has in what I have, it's just a blessing."
Although Wagner showed once again that he is still one of the NFL's better linebackers in 2024, Quinn has seen enough of a sample size to know what Wagner can achieve. Quinn values competitive, hard-working players, and Wagner has fit that description since his rookie season in 2012. He's so confident in Wagner that he said at the NFL Scouting Combine that he knew at that moment Wagner was somewhere working on his skill set to be ready for next season.
And Wagner appreciates the trust that Quinn puts in him.
"No matter where you're at in your career, whether you're a rookie or you're a veteran, having somebody that believes in you, that cares about you, that wants to see you succeed is always gonna help in your growth," Wagner said. "So, being able to build this with him and collaborate once again, it's been really, really fun."
3. "We've got unfinished business."
The Commanders were one game away from competing for a Super Bowl -- something the team hasn't done since the 1990s -- before falling short to the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the 55-23 final score doesn't quite reflect how close things were early in the matchup, the reality remains that Washington needed to improve its roster going forward.
For Peters and Quinn, part of that meant retaining as much of the roster's core talent as possible, as 28 players were set to be free agents. Wagner, while one of the oldest active players in the league, was integral to the Commanders' success in 2024, and the team believed it was important to bring him back.
Though Wagner is certainly in the latter stages of his career, there is still plenty left for him to achieve. He has a chance to surpass Fletcher -- someone he looked up to as a young player -- for the most consecutive 100-tackle seasons in NFL history. It would be another bullet point on a resume that already points to him being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Wagner would also like another Super Bowl to pair with the one he got with the Seahawks in 2013. The Commanders almost got there in 2024, and with Daniels, a player who he's developed a close relationship with, in the offensive backfield, who knows what could happen in 2025?
"We've got unfinished business," Wagner said.
