Background and career
Bobby Joseph Wagner (born June 27, 1990) is an American professional football linebacker. Wagner played college football for the Utah State Aggies and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. He spent ten years with the Seahawks before playing for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, later returning to Seattle for a second stint in 2023. He then spent two seasons playing for the Washington Commanders. Regarded as one of the greatest linebackers of his era, Wagner is a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in 2013. He is also a ten-time Pro Bowler, an eleven-time All-Pro selection, a three-time NFL combined tackles leader, and leads all active players in career tackles. Wagner won the 2023 Art Rooney Award and was named the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. He is also a minority owner of the WNBA's Seattle Storm.
Wagner was born on June 27, 1990, in Los Angeles, California. He attended Colony High School in Ontario, California, where he played high school football for the Titans. In 2007, he registered 125 tackles (92 solo, 33 assists), including four sacks as a senior. He also played tight end, tallying 37 catches for 595 yards with 11 touchdowns. He received all-CIF Central Division honors as well as all-Mount Baldy League accolades. He earned second-team California Division 2 all-state honors after helping lead the Titans to a CIF division title and was named to the All-San Bernardino County team. Considered a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, Wagner's only offer came from Utah State.
Wagner attended Utah State University from 2008 to 2011. A four-year starter, he recorded 445 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four interceptions during his career. As a senior in 2011, Wagner was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 147 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions.
On January 14, 2012, it was announced that Wagner had accepted his invitation to play in the 2012 Senior Bowl. He became the first Utah State player to play in the game since Chris Cooley in 2004. On January 28, 2012, Wagner played in the Senior Bowl and recorded 22 combined tackles and an interception for the North team coached by Leslie Frazier that defeated the South team 23–13. He was named the Senior Bowl MVP and was also named the North's Most Outstanding Player. Wagner received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, but was unable to attend after coming down with pneumonia. On March 30, 2012, Wagner attended Utah State's Pro Day and impressed scouts and team representatives after performing all of the combine drills. He displayed his versatility and athleticism throughout his workout and helped solidify himself as a top linebacker. His 40-yard dash and broad jump would have finished first among all linebackers in at the NFL combine and his vertical would have tied with California's Mychal Kendricks for first. His broad jump was five inches better than any linebacker at the combine and would have finished third among all positions. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Wagner was projected to be a second round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the fourth best outside linebacker in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.
The Seattle Seahawks selected Wagner in the second round (47th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft. He is the 11th highest player selected in the NFL draft from Utah State and the highest since Rulon Jones in 1980. The Seahawks also drafted his Utah State teammate Robert Turbin in the fourth round. On May 7, 2012, the Seahawks signed Wagner to a four-year, $4.30 million contract that includes $2.51 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.57 million. Wagner entered training camp competing for the vacant starting middle linebacker role against Barrett Ruud and Matt McCoy. Although Ruud was initially supposed to replace David Hawthorne, an injury sidelined him during organized team activities, giving Wagner valuable time with the first team defense. Head coach Pete Carroll named Wagner the starting middle linebacker, along with outside linebackers K. J. Wright and Leroy Hill, to start the regular season. He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Seahawks season-opener at the Arizona Cardinals and recorded four combined tackles during their 20–16 loss. In Week 5, Wagner recorded five combined tackles and made his first career sack on Cam Newton in the Seahawks' 16–12 victory. The next week, he made a season-high 14 combined tackles in a 24–23 victory against the New England Patriots. On November 25, 2012, Wagner recorded nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted his first career pass off Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill during a 24–21 loss. On December 9, 2012, he collected eight combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted two passes off of John Skelton in a 58–0 routing against the Arizona Cardinals. Wagner finished his rookie season with 140 combined tackles (87 solo), four pass deflections, three interceptions. and two sacks in 16 games and 15 starts. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked him the second best inside linebacker in 2012 and the best rookie linebacker during the season. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. The Seahawks finished second in the NFC West with an 11–5 record and received a playoff berth. On January 6, 2013, Wagner started in his first career playoff game and recorded nine combined tackles during a 24–14 victory at the Washington Redskins in the National Football Conference (NFC) Wild Card Round. They were eliminated by the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round.
Wagner remained the starting middle linebacker to start the 2013 regular season under new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. On September 22, 2013, he recorded nine combined tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted Chad Henne as the Seahawks defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle's former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley 45–17, who became the Jaguars head coach in 2013. Wagner missed the first two games of his career (Weeks 6–7) after suffering a high ankle sprain. In Week 9, Wagner collected 11 combined tackles and was credited with 1.5 sacks on Mike Glennon during a 27–24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On December 29, 2013, he made a season-high 12 combined tackles during a 27–9 victory against the St. Louis Rams. He finished the season with 120 combined tackles (72 solo), seven pass deflections, five sacks, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts. PFF ranked Wagner the 61st best player in the league in 2013, regardless of position. The Seahawks finished the season atop their division with a 13–3 record. On January 19, 2014, Wagner started in the NFC Championship and recorded 15 combined tackles during a 23–17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. On February 2, 2014, Wagner started in his first career Super Bowl and made ten combined tackles as the Seahawks routed the Denver Broncos 43–8 and won Super Bowl XLVIII.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
