The Cincinnati Bengals are on a collision course to make their defense even worse unless they do something drastic around the NFL trade deadline.
They rank dead-last in points and total yards allowed per game. They're not getting any help from 2024 third-round pick McKinnley Jackson, who just requested a trade or release. Yet another disappointing twist for the underachieving defensive tackle.
Thanks to an ongoing youth movement, too, in which Cincinnati is pressing unprepared rookies into action, team captain Logan Wilson is reportedly in danger of being dealt away.
Bengals exploring Logan Wilson trade ahead of NFL trade deadline
The MMQB's Albert Breer reports that a potential Logan Wilson trade is definitely in play.
"The Bengals [...] haven’t shown an appetite for trading Trey Hendrickson, but have at least fished around on the idea of trading LB Logan Wilson."
Over the past five drafts in particular, Cincinnati has whiffed time and again on key picks. Wilson represents an apparently bygone era, and a signal of how good things used to be.
Wilson was a third-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bengals did the no-brainer move and picked Joe Burrow No. 1 overall that year. To their credit, they picked up stud wide receiver Tee Higgins in Round 2, followed by Wilson to end the second day.
Three top picks. Three big hits. And for the first time in his career, Wilson was elected a team captain in 2025. Considering he was out down the stretch of last season as Cincinnati rattled off five straight wins, the veteran's return to the heart of the defense inspired optimism. Or at least it did in me.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor evidently thought the play of fourth-round rookie Barrett Carter was comparable enough to Wilson to justify a demotion. That then resulted in Wilson requesting a trade.
Hence why we're here, talking about the possibility of Wilson being moved before the Nov. 4 deadline. Apropos for Halloween, I wrote about how Wilson's trade request could very well haunt Cincinnati. The defense proceeded to be gashed in a 39-38 loss to the lowly Jets in Week 8.
At a certain point, you need to see what you have in your draft picks. However, the fact that the Bengals thrust Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. into starting roles feels forced. Wilson is a steady presence with a high football IQ, and meanwhile, Eagles playoff hero Oren Burks continues to ride the pine, making only occasional cameo snaps on defense.
Little about the Bengals' draft approach made sense when Knight and Carter were selected. It all looks worse now that Wilson wants out, and a linebacker-needy contender like the 49ers, Colts, or anyone else would be lucky to have him.
Whether it's at the trade deadline or in the midst of cap casualty SZN in the offseason, Logan Wilson is on his way out. It's an unceremonious, odd pending exit for a franchise cornerstone. Painful to watch.