4 reasons the Cowboys should pursue this free agent

ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 05: Bobby Wagner #54 of the Washington Commanders defends against the Dallas Cowboys during an NFL football game at AT&T Stadium on January 5, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys have a need at linebacker, that's no secret. To their credit, they went after multiple players at the position like Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker during the first wave of free agency, but both chose to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders.

There are still plenty of veteran linebackers on the market like Bobby Okereke, Germaine Pratt, Shaq Wilson, and others. However, there's one in particular that the Cowboys should seriously kick the tires on, and it's 11-time All-Pro Bobby Wagner.

Of course, with Wagner heading into his 15th season in the league, the first thing many might say is why bring someone with that much wear and tear on his body? In this case, there are factors that make Wagner worth taking a look at, and here are four of them.

Still playing at a high level

Wagner finished with 162 tackles last season which ranked fifth in the NFL. He also finished ninth in the league in defensive stops with 52 per Pro Football Focus, which means he's still stopping plays for minimal gains. Wagner only missed eight tackles, logged 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, and 20 pressures last season. On top of all of that, Wagners 1,132 snaps were the most in his career, and it also led all defenders in 2025.

Veteran leadership

The Cowboys have several young linebackers on the roster in DeMarvion Overshown, Marist Liufau, and Shemar James. While they're all talented in their own right, there's still things they need to work on, and in Overshown's case, he needs to stay healthy. These are perfect students for a guy like Wagner. Not only can he refine their game by teaching them what to do and what not to do, but Wagner has survived a decade and a half in the NFL, which gives him a ton of knowledge on how to take care of his body.

Reliable

Your best ability is availability in sports, and Wagner has mastered that aspect. He's played in 219 out of a possible 229 games in his career since being drafted in 2012, and he's only missed one game over the last five seasons. If he were to be signed by Dallas, he likely wouldn't have to play as many snaps as he's used to, which would aid him in staying healthy.

He doesn't have an agent

This factor should make Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones smile from ear to ear. He's openly tried to make handshake deals in the past, with the most recent being with former Cowboy Micah Parsons. If he can negotiate without an agent, Jones is in heaven. Wagner has negotiated his own deals for several years. So, this is right up the alley of how Jones would prefer to do contracts.