The trade deadline came and went, and the Detroit Lions did not make a move at linebacker at the NFL trade deadline. While the timing of Jack Campbell injury did not give them much time to respond, they could still sign free agent Bobby Wagner to replace him, according to Moe Moton of Bleacher Report.
Moton notes that while Wagner is older, he is reliable, which is exactly what the Lions need to close out the year.
“Even at 36, Bobby Wagner is a premier talent who also brings invaluable intangibles to a locker room,” wrote Moton. “The 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro is a proven field general who’s recorded at least 104 tackles in every season of his 14-year career. He’s also been an iron man in recent years, suiting up for all 17 games between 2022 and 2025.”
He added that the Lions are the most sensible fit.
“If the Detroit Lions expect linebacker Jack Campbell to be out for the long term with a neck injury, Wagner would be a logical addition to their defense,” added Moton.
Wagner has been in the NFL for 14 seasons before 2026.
Detroit Lions Could Replace Jack Campbell With Bobby Wagner
“Wagner is one of the most decorated players at linebacker in the NFL. The former second-round pick from the 2012 NFL draft has a Super Bowl ring with the Seattle Seahawks and has 217 starts in the NFL. He’s a 10-time Pro Bowler, a 6-time first-team All-Pro, and he has five second-team All-Pro selections to join that.
Wagner has 2,000 career tackles and is likely going to make the Hall of Fame. He’s 36 years old, but last season he played 17 games and had 162 total tackles. The combination of talent and experience makes it hard to pass up for a Lions team that just lost their leader up front.
Lions Have a Need at Linebacker
The Lions are asking a lot from their linebacker room right now. Derrick Barnes is going from a run-and-chase linebacker to wearing the green dot and being the leader of the defense who keeps everybody aligned.
Malcolm Rodriguez was starting to lose his role as a backup, and now he’s jumped into the starting lineup. The team is also asking Trevor Nowaske to start a little bit more.
With that, they’ve had to call up Joe Bachie from the practice squad. They also signed KJ Britt from the New England Patriots practice squad to add depth. It is clear they are looking for help.
They are starting to get thin at linebacker. Rodriguez played well in Week 9, but was losing his spot for a reason. While they are hoping to get Devin White back in the next couple of weeks, they lost Jimmy Rolder on top of Jack Campbell.
It makes sense to bring in Wagner because he is so cheap and could calm the room down. He could take on the leadership role and slide Barnes back into his old spot. We will see if their game against the New England Patriots in Week 10 changes anything.
Lions Urged to Add All-Pro After Failing to Replace Jack Campbell