The Green Bay Packers have to figure out how to replace Edgerrin Cooper, the team’s elite inside linebacker, who went down for the season with an Achilles tendon tear during the Packers’ Week 4 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and one NFL legend at the same position just happens to be available.
Bobby Wagner, an 11-time All-Pro selection across his first 14 years in the league, parted ways with the Washington Commanders this offseason after two years with that franchise. He remains a free agent four weeks into the 2026 campaign and may still interested in playing professional football.
Bill Huber of ON SI suggested Wagner as a fit for the Packers on Monday, October 5.
“Wagner is 36 and – by far – the best free agent,” Huber wrote. “In 2024, he started all 17 games and had 132 tackles, two sacks, 10 tackles for losses and four passes defensed. In 2025, he started all 17 games and had 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for losses and four passes defensed.
“It might be worth an exploratory call to the future Hall of Famer to gauge his interest in eventually pairing with Micah Parsons to make a run at the playoffs – and beyond,” Huber continued.
Bobby Wagner May Not Be Interested in Return to NFL
Wagner — a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, where he spent the vast majority of his career (11 seasons) — has missed a total of nine games in his career and has led the league in tackles three different times.
Spotrac projects his market value at $7.7 million on a new one-year deal after he played last season in Washington for $9 million. He has earned just north of $118.5 million over the course of his NFL career.
Wagner has accomplished literally everything that any football player could ever hope. And considering how healthy he has remained and all of the financial security he has accumulated, the linebacker may not desire a return to the gridiron this season and/or beyond.
“If he wanted to play football, he’d be on the team,” Wagner’s former teammate Von Miller told The Dallas Sports Journal in September. “He’s a man of many talents. He went and got his master’s degree during the season last year. If he wanted to be on the team, he would.”
That said, Wagner has not officially announced his retirement from the sport as of early October.
Packers Could Turn to Players Already on Roster, Such as Isaiah McDuffie, to Fill in for Edgerrin Cooper
Other options for the Packers to replace Cooper include Isaiah McDuffie, a six-year veteran who has spent that entire time in Green Bay and has appeared in 84 total games with 38 career starts.
The Packers could also turn to Ty’Ron Hooper, a former third-round pick in his third season in the league. Hooper has played in 37 of a possible 38 games since joining the NFL, but he has started just two of those.
Green Bay also elevated linebacker Kristian Welch from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, though Huber wrote that he does not expect Welch to make a major impact on defensive snaps moving forward.
Packers Floated as Landing Spot for 11-Time All-Pro, Edgerrin Cooper Replacement