Hogs Haven
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders linebacker is close to becoming the third player in NFL history to make 2,000 tackles — a testament to his durability and dedication to his craft.
The complicated part is everything else. It’s the year-round lifestyle he maintains to stay productive at 35 years old, the film he studies to predict the flow of a play or the shimmy of a running back. It’s all the meticulous work that precedes the straightforward act of bringing a ballcarrier to the ground.
With three games remaining in the Washington Commanders’ disappointing 2025 season, Wagner needs 25 combined tackles to reach 2,000 regular season tackles for his career — an exceedingly rare feat in a sport that counts tackling as one of its fundamental crafts.
The significance of that number, for a linebacker, can be difficult to grasp. The context is that only two players in NFL history have done it: Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, who amassed 2,059 tackles in 17 seasons, and longtime Washington linebacker London Fletcher, who recorded 2,039 over 16 years.
Wagner maintains he’s not chasing the 2,000-tackle mark. He said he hasn’t thought much about it. He always just thought a productive season featured 100 tackles and a few splash plays. “When you do that,” he said, “certain things like this happen.”
This year, Wagner has drawn criticism from Commanders fans for his lack of foot speed in coverage, which opposing offenses have exploited repeatedly. But he has also been a key leader and run-stuffing force in the middle of Washington’s defense. His 137 tackles rank fifth in the NFL, and he has played the past two games with a sprained MCL in his knee.
“I think all my success is studying, to be honest,” Wagner said.
Wagner said he pores over footage of running backs, and he is renowned by coaches for his note-taking. He knows who will try to spin their way out of a tackle and who prefers to juke. He knows who will try to run over a tackler and when. Some guys will stiff-arm a smaller defender, he said, but try to outrun a larger one.
“All that is on film,” he said. “So by the time I get to that point, I know who you are.”
The Athletic (paywall)
The confusing messaging has raised plenty more questions, including whether the team is coddling its young quarterback. It has also seemed to perpetuate a narrative that Daniels’ play style is reckless and makes him vulnerable to unnecessary hits (even if the game film shows otherwise).
When healthy, Daniels didn’t play at the level he did last season. Ensuring he stays available long term is and should be a priority. But the “can Daniels protect himself?” chatter has diverted focus from the issues that ultimately derailed Washington’s season; namely, a roster with clear deficiencies....
