Bobby Wagner is finally being compensated in a way that’s commensurate with his status as one of the NFL’s best linebackers.
The Seattle Seahawks gave Wagner a three-year extension on Friday worth a total of $54 million. $40.2 million of that is guaranteed and it makes him the highest-paid linebacker in the league.
Source: The #Seahawks and LB Bobby Wagner have agreed to terms on a 3-year, $54M extension. Locked in. 💰💰💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2019
Seattle Seahawks Sign Bobby Wagner to Three-Year, $54 Million Extension
Heading into his ninth NFL season, Wagner has certainly cemented his status as an elite NFL linebacker. He made his fifth straight Pro Bowl last year after a campaign that saw him finish with 138 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, and 11 pass breakups. In a testament to his tremendous work ethic, Wagner has led the Seahawks in tackles during the past three seasons.
The move keeps Wagner with the Seahawks until 2022. The 6’0″, 242-pound linebacker was about to enter the final year of a four-year extension he signed ahead of the 2015 season. That deal was for $43 million with him slated to make slightly over $14 million in 2019.
The Utah State product has certainly established himself as the most famous football player from that school. He finished his college career 445 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and four sacks, earning first-team all-WAC accolades three times. It led to Seattle taking him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, totaling 139 tackles, nine of which were for a loss while also making two sacks, breaking up four passes and intercepting three of them en route to making the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team.
Wagner’s new deal comes with the Seahawks preparing for the 2019 regular season at training camp. Rookies reported to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, WA on July 17, while veterans arrived on July 24. Their preseason officially gets underway when they host the Denver Broncos on August 8. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. PT.
