Cowboys get Bengals' Logan Wilson before NFL trade deadline

The Dallas Cowboys have acquired veteran linebacker Logan Wilson in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday during a radio interview that Dallas sent a 2026 seventh-round draft selection to Cincinnati for Wilson, who will be counted on to help improve one of the NFL's worst defenses.

"For what we need right now, he can come in immediately and help us at linebacker," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.

The deal comes one day after the Cowboys (3-5-1) lost 27-17 at home to the Arizona Cardinals on "Monday Night Football."

Jones compared Wilson to former Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, a 2018 Pro Bowler and fan favorite in Dallas.

"Some guys have the ability to see a certain key and at the same time take a step up in the hole," Jones said. "[Wilson] knows how to get in the gaps right now."

Jones also hinted that the Cowboys might not be done dealing ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, although he did not specify a position that Dallas was targeting.

"With a deadline, they're in the works -- and they better be in the works, or you're going to miss this train," Jones said.

Wilson, 29, has two years remaining on a four-year, $36 million extension he signed in July 2023. He registered at least 100 tackles each of the past four seasons but has seen reduced playing time this season with the Bengals.

"I appreciate everything Logan has done as a player and as a person during his time in Cincinnati," Bengals 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 Cowboys are 31st in the NFL in total defense (397.4 yards per game) and scoring defense (30.8 points per game), ahead of only the Bengals in both categories.

Kenneth Murray Jr. has started every game at linebacker for the Cowboys, who have had Jack Sanborn, rookie Shemar James, Marist Liufau and Damone Clark split time at the other two linebacker spots.

Entering Monday's game, the Cowboys allowed more than 136 yards rushing in five straight games, while five opponents have scored their season high in points against the Cowboys.

Wilson will have time to adjust to his new defense with Dallas on its bye week next week before returning to action Nov. 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders on "Monday Night Football."

The Cowboys are in second place in the NFC East, 3½ games behind the Philadelphia Eagles. They are 11th in the conference standings, behind two teams that already beat them -- the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers -- while edging the Cardinals only because of their Week 4 tie against the Green Bay Packers.

After the Cowboys play the Raiders, their next five opponents -- the Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers -- are a combined 26-16.

The Cowboys, who currently have a 9% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics, hope to bolster their defense with the acquisition of Wilson, a 2020 third-round pick who was an integral part of the Bengals' defense between 2021 and 2024. He missed the final six games of last season with a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Wilson was voted a Bengals team captain this year, but his role on the defense diminished as the season went on. In Week 6, the Bengals benched Wilson in favor of rookie Barrett Carter.

Wilson was part of the Cincinnati 2020 draft class that featured quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Tee Higgins. Before their arrival, the Bengals were the worst team in the NFL. Two years later, that group sparked the franchise's turnaround that led to back-to-back AFC North titles and the team's first Super Bowl appearance in 33 seasons.

Wilson being gone further solidifies Cincinnati's decision to keep Carter and fellow rookie Demetrius Knight Jr. as its primary linebackers.