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The Seattle Seahawks could face a familiar face in the 2026 NFL season if a prediction proves accurate. Bobby Wagner has had two stints with the Seahawks, with his first spanning 10 seasons from 2012 through 2021.
Wagner would return for a second stint, playing the 2023 season with Seattle. After departing again, he’s played the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders. Wagner will turn 36 in June, and it appears he wants to play another NFL season.
As for what team he could play for, CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell sees the Dallas Cowboys as the top landing spot for the veteran.
Wagner’s age has to be the primary reason behind his lack of a contract,” Podell wrote in his article published on April 3. “He stuffed the stat sheet with 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions. Wagner now has 14 consecutive seasons (2012-25) with 100-plus tackles, which is tied for the longest such streak since 2000 along with London Fletcher (20-13).
“The Dallas Cowboys still lack a green dot, middle linebacker entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Even if a rookie draft pick becomes the eventual starter, having a future Hall of Famer to mentor the next generation at the position would be ideal for Dallas.”
If Wagner were to sign with the Cowboys, it would mean a return to Seattle, as one of the Seahawks’ home opponents for the 2026 season is Dallas.
Another NFL Writer Sees Ex-Seahawks LB Going to Cowboys
Furthermore, Podell isn’t the only one predicting the Cowboys as a landing spot for Wagner, as CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns also sees a fit between Dallas and the veteran linebacker.
“Jerry Jones built some defensive depth over the first couple weeks of free agency but still lacks the kind of splashy addition that could incite optimism for a quick and noticeable turnaround,” Bahns wrote in his article that was published on March 29.
“Wagner may not be a break-the-bank kind of player at this stage of his career, but he would raise the defense’s floor more than some of the team’s other offseason pickups.”
Commanders Leave Door Open for Bobby Wagner
Seattle drafted Wagner in 2012 and would go on to play for Seattle until 2021 and then return for a second stint in 2023. During his career with the Seahawks, Wagner had 1,566 total tackles, 27 sacks, 10 fumble recoveries, and 11 interceptions in 168 regular-season games, per StatMuse.
After leaving in 2023, he found success with the Commanders. Although the Commanders left the door open for Wagner to return, they are comfortable moving on. As a result, Washington head coach Dan Quinn shared the latest on whether they’d bring Wagner back for a third season.
“We would never shut the door on [Wagner],” Quinn said (h/t John Keim of ESPN). “We do feel like there’s some players that are about to take off at [his] position.
“He’s like the most remarkable player and leader. I wanted to make sure I said how important he was to me to come here together, like what standards could look like. And then yes, like what Adam 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.’”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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