If you watch Bobby Wagner play, you’d never know he’s in his 11th season and 32 years old. He’s Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded linebacker in the NFL this season, looking every bit like the All-Pro he was in his prime with the Seahawks.
Wagner hasn’t said exactly when he plans to retire, but he signed a five-year, $50 million deal with the Rams this offseason, so he’s under contract through 2026, or his age-36 season. There’s no reason to doubt he’ll retire before then, either.
On Wednesday, Wagner shared his secret to staying ready for each coming season. He believes in staying active during the offseason, whether it’s lifting, biking, yoga or other various workouts to stay fresh.
He finds that the more time he takes off, the worse it is when it comes time for training camp and preparing for the next season.
“I work out a lot. I meditate a lot. I do yoga a lot. I hoop a lot,” Wagner said. “You just try to stay active. I think as you get older, there’s not really that time where you’re not active. I think the longer you take off the harder it is to get back in shape, so I don’t really take much time off. I might not lift as much early on, but I’ll still be running, I’ll be on the bike, I’ll do something to stay active. Then as my body recovers then I’ll start adding the weights and the intense workouts.”
Wagner may not have the same speed he once had earlier in his career, but he’s certainly not lacking athleticism or speed. And with his instincts as a middle linebacker, he’s consistently making big plays – as evidenced by his two interceptions and career-high six sacks this season.
He doesn’t have any concerns about staying healthy for an entire season now that he’s 32 years old, with the biggest challenge being Thursday night games, something several players have taken issue with over the years.
“No, I think the offseason, you prepare yourself for the duration of the season,” Wagner said. “My first, I don’t know, six years we were going really deep into the playoffs and so we were playing 18 plus games every time. It doesn’t matter whether it’s now or when I was younger, I think the hardest game to get ready for is that Thursday night game because there’s just not that much time to cram in all the stuff that you would normally do in the whole week for that Thursday game. So for me if anything has been a challenge it’s always that Thursday night game, but that’s always been a challenge and I would confidently speak for every player that it’s a challenge for everybody because it’s hard. Regardless of the game, you could have a 80 play game or 60 play game and then have to turn around and be ready by Thursday, which I think most guys start feeling good around that time. It’s always tough and I don’t imagine it getting any easier.”
The Rams are fortunate to have Wagner in their building, both from an on-field perspective and a locker room one. He’s a leader for this team, and that’s essential in a season that’s been so frustrating and difficult for the entire roster and coaching staff.
Hopefully in Year 2, the Rams can find more team success than what they’ve experienced this season.
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