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The Washington Commanders hit the mother lode in free agency in 2024 when it came to linebackers, signing a pair of players in Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu who both became NFL All-Pro selections in their first year in Washington.
While Luvu is locked up through 2026 with a 3-year, $31 million contract, Wagner is in D.C. on a 1-year, $6.5 million contract that’s more team friendly than anything — a bargain the Commanders can’t expect again in 2025.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks a likely replacement for Wagner could be San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who might end up forced into taking a deal similar to Wagner’s in 2025 after playing just 2 games in 2024 while coming off an Achilles tendon injury.
“When healthy, the 27-year-old (28 in May) has been an absolute difference-maker,” Holder wrote. “Greenlaw started 15 games (in 2023) and finished with 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four passes defended and five tackles for loss. He had another 18 tackles and two interceptions in the postseason before suffering the Achilles injury in the Super Bowl.
“The Commanders should also be interested as they look to continue building a contender in Washington. Greenlaw would be a particularly logical target if the Commanders don’t re-sign Bobby Wagner in free agency.”
Greenlaw’s Career Took Turn in Super Bowl LVIII
Football fans all over the world remember Greenlaw for the injury he suffered in Super Bowl LVIII.
That’s not for how gruesome the injury was, but for how simple it was. Greenlaw, running onto the field to join the defense against the Kansas City Chiefs, appeared to lose his footing and slip a little bit … then crumpled to the ground with a torn Achilles tendon.
Greenlaw was on the PUP (physically unable to perform list) after undergoing surgery not long after the overtime loss to the Chiefs and tried to return for 2 games late in the season but was shut down for the rest of the season after experience pain in his calf.
Greenlaw has spent his entire career with the 49ers after he was selected in the fifth round (No. 148 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Arkansas. Greenlaw just finished the final season of the 2-year, $16.4 million contract he signed in September 2022 and might end up forced to sign a “prove-it” deal in 2025 like the one Wagner signed in 2024.
Common Sense Keeps Wagner With Commanders
There’s one thing that could keep Wagner, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, with the Commanders in 2025. That’s common sense.
Almost every analytics model used by NFL teams would recommend against re-signing Wagner to another contract in 2025 because he’ll be 35 years old in June — inside linebackers don’t produce at that age.
Still, Wagner persists, and his 11th NFL All-Pro Team selection in 2024 proves as much. It’s the 11th consecutive season Wagner has earned either Pro Bowl or NFL All-Pro honors and he finds himself in some rare air when it comes to NFL history.
Wagner’s 132 tackles in 2024 pushed him into the Top 10 in NFL history with 1,071 career tackles. With another 100-tackle season in 2025, Wagner would leap into the No. 4 spot — Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis holds the record with 1,568 career tackles.