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          Source: Bengals LB Logan Wilson requests trade amid reduced role

          • Ben BabyOct 23, 2025, 09:13 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson has requested a trade, a source told ESPN on Thursday.

          The sixth-year player has started in all seven of his appearances this season. However, the team captain has seen his role reduced over the course of the season. Rookies Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. have received the bulk of the team's defensive snaps.

          Despite the request, Bengals coach Zac Taylor hasn't noticed a negative attitude.

          "He's handled it really well," he said Friday. "He's done a great job with the young linebackers. He's continued to be in a leadership role in our team. I know that this situation, it can be difficult and challenging. Just keep focusing on being here, working for us, trying to find ways to win."

          In Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers, Wilson played just 19.7% of the team's defensive snaps in a 27-18 defeat. Four days later against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson was on the field for 47.5% of the time in a 33-31 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak. He has two years remaining on his four-year, $36 million extension that he signed in 2023.

          This season, the Bengals rank 25th in yards allowed per rush attempt as Cincinnati (3-4) has leaned on its young players. Heading into this week's game against the New York Jets (0-7), Bengals coach Zac Taylor reiterated his commitment to the rookies in the middle of the defense.

          Wilson, a third-round pick in the 2020 draft, has been a pivotal member of Cincinnati's defense in the turnaround. In 2021, two years after the Bengals had the worst record in the NFL, Wilson was a starter on a Cincinnati squad that reached the Super Bowl. In six seasons with the team, he has made 75 starts and totaled six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions.

          Despite the diminished role, Carter said Wilson has done a good job of helping him get acclimated to his new status as a starter.

          "It hasn't changed our relationship at all," Carter told ESPN. "I still lean on him heavily with stuff, still ask him questions every single day. He's been a great leader, just like the man he is since the day I got here."