Bengals' Defensive Overhaul Could Include 10-Time Pro Bowl LB

If there were a poster boy for consistency and longevity, it would be Bobby Wagner.

The 35-year-old linebacker has played 14 NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks (2012-21, 2023), Los Angeles Rams (2022), and Washington Commanders (2024-25), recording 100 or more tackles in every season and playing in every game in 10 of them.

His resume includes 11 All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowls, he led the NFL in tackles three times, was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, and won a Super Bowl championship.

But Wagner is still a free agent, and there's one team that could make a lot of sense as his next landing spot.

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports recently proposed the Cincinnati Bengals should make a run at Wagner to quarterback their defense - and given the defensive overhaul they've started this offseason, Wagner would be a great addition.

"The Bengals are coming off a 2025 season where their defense was abysmal," Sullivan wrote. "… One area they could stand to add, however, is at linebacker after both Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight struggled last season. After the Commanders selected Sonny Styles in the first round, a return to Washington may not be in the cards for Bobby Wagner, and it’d make sense for the Bengals to pounce.

"For Wagner, this pairing would make sense not only from a need standpoint, but the linebacker would also give himself a good shot at a deep playoff run with Joe Burrow as his quarterback, giving him possibly one last kick at the can for another Super Bowl title."

Adding Wagner would be another move in a string of transactions that has reshaped the Bengals defense.

They traded for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, defensive end Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, 2026 second-round defensive end Cashius Howell, and 2026 third-round cornerback Tacario Davis.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 4:19 PM.