The Washington Chiefs continue to deliver the worst statistical defense in the NFL, adding eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner on Wednesday, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Wagner becomes the sixth defensive player Washington has landed since Monday, hoping to bolster a group that ranked last in both points and yards allowed last season.
Wagner agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million with $6 million in guarantees, according to NFL Network, which first reported the news.
Washington also added three defensive ends — Dorrance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell — as well as linebacker Frankie Lufo and safety Jeremy Chinn.
Washington's coaches are familiar with Wagner: Head coach Dan Quinn coached him for two years in Seattle as coordinator, and running backs coach Ken Norton Jr. was Wagner's coordinator for four seasons with the Seahawks.
One of the most decorated linebackers of the last decade and a future Hall of Famer, Wagner played in every game last season for the Seattle Seahawks and recorded an NFL-high 183 tackles, making his new career even better.
Wagner, 33, added 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 6 QB hits and 3 passes defensed while playing in each game.
In January, Wagner said he “100 percent” planned to continue playing in 2024, which would be his 13th season in the NFL.
Seattle's second-round pick in 2012 out of Utah State, Wagner guarded the middle of the “Legion of Boom” defense that led the Seahawks to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII and a near repeat in Super Bowl XLIX. He spent his first 10 seasons with Seattle, making eight straight Pro Bowls in that span while being named first-team All-Pro six times.
He is the Seahawks' all-time leading rusher.
After being released by the Seahawks, Wagner spent the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Rams, who he parted ways with after the season. He returned to Seattle on a one-year deal with a base value of $5.5 million, though Wagner earned an additional $750,000 by being selected to the Pro Bowl — his 11th career selection — on the primary ballot.
Wagner has been his own agent for several years and has negotiated his past three contracts, including a three-year, $54 million extension in 2019 that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
He topped 100 tackles in each of his first 12 NFL seasons, recording 1,706 in total. He has 33 sacks, 13 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries and 89 tackles for loss in 185 regular season games.
ESPN's Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
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