Six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner is returning to the Washington Commanders after being a big part of their franchise-best turnaround and a trip to the NFC championship game in quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie season.
Wagner agreed on a contract for next season, according to a person with knowledge of the move. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not yet been announced.
Set to turn 35 this summer, Wagner led the Commanders with 132 tackles during the regular season and was named to his 10th Pro Bowl. He made 25 more during their playoff run as the centerpiece of a much-improved defense.
The well-respected veteran keyed a unit that went from last in the league before he and several newcomers arrived to finish 13th under first-year coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.
“He’s a coach on the field,” Whitt said of Wagner in January. “He’s the ultimate leader. For him to be the Bobby Wagner, he’s a humble man. He listens. He takes coaching. ... He takes the younger guys, he brings them (in and is) a mentor. I can tell him and talk to him within the game and he could take what I’m saying and communicate it really well to the players.”
Financial terms were not immediately available, though reports indicated the deal was for $8 million guaranteed and could be worth up to $9.5 million. That's a raise from the $6 million guaranteed he signed for a year ago when new general manager Adam Peters was remaking the roster.
Wagner, who won the Super Bowl with Seattle in the 2013 season when Quinn ran the defense, developed a strong bond with Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year and face of the franchise.
“Obviously, I knew of him, but didn’t know him personally," Daniels said. “But ever since I got here we kind of just hit it off and he’s like a big brother to me and everything — always giving game, taking care of us.”
Washington re-signed Wagner hours after bringing back kicker Zane Gonzalez. His contract is also for one year and is worth the league minimum salary of $1.17 million, according to another person with knowledge of the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not disclosed.
Gonzalez went 7 for 8 on field goal attempts during the playoff run after going 5 of 7 during the regular season. That included the buzzer-beating, game-winning kick in the wild-card round at Tampa Bay that gave Washington its first playoff victory in nearly two decades.
“The organization is amazing, the coaching staff’s amazing,” Gonzalez said in January about his time with the Commanders. “It’s just truly been awesome, and I’m just incredibly grateful for the whole organization, honestly, as a whole. Everybody here is truly, truly amazing people. They got something special going, and I’m just happy to be a part of it and do my little part.”
Gonzalez, who turns 30 in May, joined Washington in November when kicker Austin Seibert was dealing with a hamstring injury. Seibert subsequently went down with a groin injury and Gonzalez played all but one game the rest of the way.
On his fourth organization since debuting in the league in 2017, Gonzalez was a perfect 27 of 27 on extra points and earned praise from teammates for how he handled every situation with ease.
“He’s about as low maintenance as they come in terms of he just has such a great attitude when he’s kicking,” holder and punter Tress Way said.
Gonzalez went viral when TV cameras caught him adjusting and readjusting a sock and putting his fingers through his hair multiple times before kicking the 37-yarder to beat the Buccaneers in prime time. He opened up about his obsessive-compulsive disorder a few days later, hoping his story could assist others.
“There’s all sorts of people that walk through life dealing with struggles on a day-to-day (basis), and a lot of it’s at home that people don’t see: For example, like last night resetting my alarm about 100 times making sure it’s OK kind of gets on my wife’s nerves a little bit, but at times it’s just kind of how it goes,” Gonzalez said. “Just hearing other people’s stories and stuff that they deal with along those lines, it’s always interesting to hear, and it’s been pretty neat to see the community come together and just kind of helping you out a little bit.”
Peters still has plenty of cap space to spend, with free agency set to open next week. Now that Wagner is back in the fold, the attention turns to re-signing veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who revitalized his career by becoming something of a safety valve for Daniels in Kliff Kingsbury's offense.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
