Bobby Wagner, Rams Agree to Reported 5-Year Contract Worth Up to $65M

Veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner has agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Rams.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he will sign a five-year deal that could be worth up to $65 million.

The Seattle Seahawks announced March 9 they were releasing the 31-year-old, who had spent his entire 10-year career to that point with them.

It was part of a seismic offseason for the Seahawks that also saw them trade Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

Wagner and Wilson were both members of the 2012 draft class, and they were foundational pieces for the franchise when it won Super Bowl XLVIII and took the NFC crown again in 2014. Their exits signaled the shifting tides in the Pacific Northwest.

Cutting Wagner was a clear cost-savings maneuver since it shaved $16.6 million from the salary cap in 2022. The fact that he was due to hit free agency in 2023 probably factored into the equation, too.

It was only a matter of time before the former Utah State star signed a new contract since he was coming off another productive season in 2021.

Wagner finished with 170 tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble en route to earning his eighth straight trip to the Pro Bowl. Even though a streak of five consecutive All-Pro nods came to an end, he continued to perform at a high level.

On the eve of free agency, The Athletic's Sheil Kapadia ranked him as the best linebacker on the board. Touchdown Wire's Mark Schofield was also high on his value, writing he "remains an explosive linebacker with the ability to crash downhill against run action" and "is still an asset on passing downs, whether in man or zone coverage."

For his career, Wagner is averaging 138.3 tackles and six pass breakups per season. He also missed just three games over the previous seven seasons.

His lone absence in 2021 was due to a knee sprain that didn't require further surgery. He picked up the injury in a Week 17 victory over the Detroit Lions and hadn't missed a single defensive snap before that.

When players with the Los Angeles native's resume are released outright, it's often not just because of the financial implications; the front office senses a forthcoming decline on the immediate horizon.

While he's on the wrong end of the aging curve—he'll turn 32 on June 27—there aren't many indicators pointing toward a rapid drop for Wagner in 2022. Even assuming his best days are behind him, he should make an immediate impact in Los Angeles' defense.

The year after the Rams reached Super Bowl LIII, they won nine games and missed the playoffs entirely. That experience might be why general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay aren't resting on their laurels.

Coming off Los Angeles' Super Bowl triumph, the futures of Aaron Donald and Von Miller were up in the air. The former was weighing retirement, and the latter was hitting free agency.

Miller ultimately signed with the Buffalo Bills, thus taking away a big piece from the defense over the second half of 2021. While not a direct replacement for the experienced pass-rusher, Wagner's arrival will be a big boost for L.A.