Cincinnati Bengals Clear Cap Space After Trading Logan Wilson to Cowboys

The Bengals traded Logan Wilson to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 seventh round pick on Tuesday.

The seventh round pick is the selection Dallas received from the Giants in a deal last season.

Why did the Bengals make the trade?

For a few reasons, but Wilson's contract was their biggest motivator. He's a 29-year-old linebacker that they benched earlier this season. Wilson isn't washed, but he clearly wasn't part of the Bengals' plans moving forward. He's also taken a step back from the player he was a few years ago.

Cincinnati needed to get Wilson's contract off the books. He was unhappy and wanted a change. Rather than releasing him this offseason, the Bengals traded him to clear cap space moving forward.

The Bengals freed up $2.684 million in cap room (and cash) this season with the trade. They also save $2.55 million in cap space in 2026.

If they had kept Wilson on the roster and released him in the offseason, he would've had a dead cap hit of over $6 million next season. Instead, the Bengals will only have $4 million in dead money next season and get a seventh round pick to use in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“I appreciate everything Logan has done as a player and as a person during his time in Cincinnati,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He has been a central part of our defense over the past six years, and he will be remembered as a leader in our locker room. I wish him the best moving forward.”

The Bengals selected Wilson in the third round (65th overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was a key piece of their defense during his first five seasons, which included a trip to Super Bowl LVI and back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in 2021 and 2022. Wilson signed a four-year, $36 million contract prior to the 2023 season.