ASHBURN, Va. — Why does Bobby Wagner keep playing?
It was a fair question to ask a 35–year–old NFL player, especially one who is a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer. For Wagner, the answer was pretty simple.
“I just want to be great, honestly,” Wagner said Wednesday at the first day of Washington Commanders training camp. “I’m not gonna be a coach when I’m done, so my job is to push this thing as far as I can take it and pass down all of the knowledge that I have.”
Wagner said there is always knowledge to gain in football, no matter how many years he has played. He said he is excited to learn from fellow veteran Von Miller, referencing Miller’s elite speed off the line of scrimmage and his ability to read the snap.
Wagner recalled watching Miller’s tape during his first few years in the league with the Seattle Seahawks. Although Miller is now 26, certain skills are age-proof, said Wagner.
“Whether you are old or young, that is mental, that is training,” Wagner said. “Some of those things you just can’t teach…and older players have it, too.”
Ahead of his 14th NFL season, Wagner was still looking to improve his game. He was the type of leader any team could use in their locker room.
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In addition to his leadership on the field, the Seattle Storm announced Wednesday that Wagner is a part-time owner of the WNBA team.
While Wagener has long been a proponent of women’s sports, this move was by far Wagner’s biggest, he said. His inspiration to invest in the Storm came from conversations with Magic Johnson and the late Kobe Bryant, who Wagner met through Richard Sherman before Bryant’s death.
“It’s almost like trying to pick up where he left off,” Wagner said. “Obviously, I’m not him whatsoever. But I could do my part because I think women’s sports is amazing.”