Washington Commanders Linebacker Bobby Wagner Makes NFL History
In a season that largely went sideways for the Washington Commanders, Week 18 offered a rare moment of pure, unadulterated history.
Sunday’s 24-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles was, on paper, a spoiler game. The Commanders had long been eliminated from playoff contention, finishing with a 5-12 record. But for linebacker Bobby Wagner, the game meant everything. With five tackles on the day, Wagner became just the third player in NFL history to record 2,000 career tackles.
Wagner Enters Exclusive Club With Lewis and Fletcher
To understand how absurd this stat is, you have to look at the company Wagner now keeps. The only other names on the list are Ray Lewis (2,059) and London Fletcher (2,039). That is the entire list.
Football is a game of attrition. It’s a car crash on every play. For a linebacker to exist in the middle of that chaos for long enough to drag 2,000 ball carriers to the ground requires a level of physical resilience that doesn’t make sense to the average human.
In a script-writer’s dream scenario, Fletcher was actually in the building on Sunday. The former Washington linebacker, now a radio analyst for the team, was there to witness Wagner join his ranks. Post-game, Fletcher headed down to the locker room to present Wagner with a signed jersey. It was a passing of the torch from one Iron Man to another.
The Grind Behind the Glory
Wagner, who is famously understated, acknowledged the sheer weight of the moment after the game.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Wagner said. “Consistency. It’s pushing through injuries that people know about, that people don’t know about. It’s pushing through good times, bad times. It’s staying committed to your work, staying committed to your craft.”
Wagner has recorded 100 or more tackles in 14 consecutive seasons. In a league that stands for “Not For Long,” Wagner has been the exception to the rule for a decade and a half.
A Lucrative Day For Von Miller
Wagner wasn’t the only veteran turning back the clock and cashing checks on Sunday. Pass rusher Von Miller had himself a day, recording his ninth sack of the season.
That sack did two things: it tied him with DeMarcus Ware for ninth on the all-time sack list (138.5), and it triggered a $500,000 bonus in his contract. Not a bad payday for a Sunday afternoon’s work.
“I stopped trying to prove it to the league a long time ago. I think I proved it to myself,” Miller said regarding his bounce-back year after an ACL tear in Buffalo.
What’s Next?
Now comes the inevitable question: Is this it? Wagner turns 36 in June. He’s played on one-year deals recently. But here is the tantalizing carrot dangling in front of him: He is currently sitting at exactly 2,000 tackles. The record held by Lewis is 2,059.
That means Wagner is just 60 tackles away from becoming the NFL’s all-time leading tackler. For a guy who just dropped 162 tackles in his 14th season, getting 60 more is basically a walk in the park. While he told the press he hasn’t thought about his future yet, the history books are wide open, waiting for him to write the final chapter.
For Washington, the 2025 season is one to forget. But for Wagner, it was the year he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever strap on a helmet.
