Bobby Wagner Eyes NFL Future Far Beyond the Playing Field
Bobby Wagner has spent a career shadowing the NFL’s top quarterbacks. But on this day, he’s shadowing the league’s top executive, commissioner Roger Goodell.
As the sun rises over Manhattan, the Washington Commanders linebacker finds himself in a Flatiron District yoga studio heated to over 100 degrees with Goodell, who often does the ancient practice before beginning his workdays running the nation’s most popular league. Led by a class instructor, Goodell and Wagner are put through their poses, focusing on their breathing and breaking a sweat. The private hour-long session was one of several moments the two shared that summer day in 2023, giving Wagner access no other current NFL player has ever had to the head of the league.
After a post-workout shower, Wagner and Goodell reconvened at the league office on Park Avenue. The morning Bikram class was merely a curtain raiser for what was a productive day last year. The nine-time Pro Bowler with a 2014 Super Bowl ring saw the operations of the league through the eyes of the commissioner, from sitting in on a call with all 32 owners to taking a trip to nearby Roc Nation to review strategic goals inside the league’s partnership with the entertainment company.
Wagner witnessed key decisions the commissioner makes daily—and came away impressed with how in tune the boss was with every department from community relations to benefit resources. He accompanied Goodell to nearly every meeting, and in a few of them spoke on behalf of fellow players.
“A lot of athletes want to learn business and go into different spaces, but it’s also important to learn the business that you are in every single day,” Wagner said in a video interview. “There’s so much that goes into the business side that athletes don’t understand.”
The day of shadowing the commissioner wasn’t Wagner’s only foray into the league offices. He spent more time in New York with some of the league’s top decision makers across different departments. It was an eye-opening experience for Wagner, who not only is a budding businessman and venture capitalist but has interest in being a leading figure in the NFL after his career on the field concludes.
“Bobby’s passion for growth and development goes beyond the field,” Goodell said in a statement sent to Sportico. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Bobby over the years and seeing his interest in business develop. We were able to see that first-hand when he spent a few days at the NFL shadowing leaders across our office. We were all impressed by Bobby’s enthusiasm and curiosity to learn more about all aspects of our business. Additionally, he was eager to share his perspective as a player on key issues, which is invaluable for us to hear.”
Wagner, one of the league’s most decorated linebackers, is poised to lead the Commanders’ young locker room this season after signing a one-year deal worth $8.5 million earlier this year. It was the latest agreement he negotiated himself as one of a handful of stars in the NFL who doesn’t have an agent. His self-representation at the bargaining table has been applauded by astute businesspeople including NBA legend Magic Johnson, a limited partner of the Commanders. In fact, Johnson was one of the first people to call Wagner to congratulate him when he signed his deal back in March.
The 34-year-old has entered what might be the final chapter of his NFL playing career, but his passion for entrepreneurship started long before his rookie year when the Seattle Seahawks drafted him out of Utah State in the second round in 2012. His curiosity can be traced back to his late mother, Phenia Mae, who worked in the finance industry when he was younger; the Ontario, Calif., native says he has been fascinated by numbers ever since.
But his acumen picked up once he joined the Seahawks. A business entrepreneurship major in college, he didn’t waste the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the brightest people in his new orbit, including former Nike Brand president Charles Denson. It snowballed from there as Denson, a fellow Utah State grad, became a solid mentor and friend and connected him with former Microsoft CFO John Connors.
Connors worked closely with Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, and he opened his Rolodex to Wagner, challenging him to consider life after football. While he was anchoring one of the best defenses of all time, which ultimately led to the Seahawks’ lone Super Bowl title, Wagner was siphoning tips and pointers from his newfound network of billionaires and high-powered executives in the Seattle area. During his first 10 seasons in Seattle, which he still calls home during the offseason, he partnered with Microsoft, Starbucks and other locally based companies.
“[Bobby] always challenged me, whether it came to my finances or understanding business,” former Seahawks linebacker and 49ers assistant coach K.J. Wright said in an interview. “He was one of those teammates to put you on game, and you learned a lot hanging out with him.”
Wagner, who now considers current Microsoft CFO Amy Hood a mentor, has only continued to build out his contact list over the last decade. A recipient of the Art Rooney Award, which goes to players demonstrating on-field sportsmanship, the perennial team captain has received sage advice from sports and business executives alike, including Ballmer and Michael Jordan. He also remains heavily connected with music mentors, including Kendrick Lamar’s childhood friend Dave Free and Roc Nation co-founder Jay Brown.
Despite being an expert in his field, Wagner still has a certain level of humility when he looks to gain understanding from others from diverse backgrounds. “So many connections happen because of reaching out to people and them being gracious enough to give me their time,” he said.
The Seahawks’ all-time tackles leader took that mindset to Los Angeles, where he played one season for the Rams in 2022. Off the field, it was not only a homecoming for the California native but a chance to bolster connections in Hollywood and the Silicon Valley. His on-field intensity didn’t let up, either. That season, Wagner leveled an animal rights protestor who ran across the field with a smoke bomb during a Week 4 game against the San Francisco 49ers. The protester filed a police report, saying he suffered a concussion, but police declined to file any charges.
“I hated playing against him, because he’s so smart and hits really hard,” Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp said in an interview. “But when he got into LA, guys immediately were drawn to him. The way he pushes people and challenges people, you want to play alongside guys like that.”
Wagner, who in 2023 returned to the Seahawks for an encore season, has also challenged the status quo on what an active pro athlete should be. An operational partner at Seattle-based venture capital firm FUSE, the angel investor has found success with early-stage companies and private equity deals. He has invested in venture firms like Jay Z’s Marcy Venture Partners, fueling growth for startups like food-tech marketplace Hungry, which reported a valuation of $270 million last year.
Wagner reportedly tripled an early investment into Denali Technologies (NYSE: DNLI) before the company’s IPO in 2017. He has also reaped the benefits of investing in Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund, which focuses on Black investors and advancing technologists who come from underrepresented backgrounds.
Wagner also has stakes in Tonal, Therabody and other health-focused brands, and is working toward an MBA at nearby Howard University in D.C.—a conscious decision that transpired after he donated to the league’s HBCU foundation. He says he isn’t sure when he’ll retire, but he did admit he’s looking forward to reaching his full potential as a businessman when he isn’t tied up with early morning workouts or Saturday walk-thru practices.
“When you have deals that turn out successful, while still playing in the league, you say to yourself sometimes, ‘How good could I be if I was able to focus solely on just the business side?’” he said. “So, it gives you encouragement and excitement to what can happen when you hang your cleats up.”
He wants to still be connected to the NFL in some capacity post playing career, and hanging out with the commissioner piqued his interest in holding a position in the league one day. While other retirees remain connected through coaching or media gigs, he knows he would want to be involved in business operations. His ambitions aren’t short of lofty either. He says he’s pondered future life as a team president—or a league commissioner.
“It would be amazing to run the league someday.”
