Although Joe Burrow‘s extension is not yet completed, the Bengals are checking off another key box on their offseason to-do list. Logan Wilson will not play out a contract year.
The Bengals and Wilson agreed to terms on a four-year, $37.25MM extension Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The deal will give the fourth-year linebacker an $11.2MM average annual value over its first two years. Wilson had entered Friday joining Burrow, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as key contract-year Bengals. No longer, as the team now has he and Germaine Pratt — re-signed in free agency — locked up.
[RELATED: Bengals Extend DE Trey Hendrickson]
Wilson, 27, has resided on Cincinnati’s extension radar for a while now. The full terms of the deal are not yet known, but on the surface, it will not quite check in among the top-10 off-ball linebacker contracts. Just as they did with Orlando Brown Jr.‘s deal, the Bengals look to be frontloading this contract. Wilson’s overall AAV will be $9.3MM, however, will only be good enough for a tie with the Saints’ Demario Davis in 11th at the position. While the salary cap’s rise would suggest higher payouts are coming in the future, this year’s market did not produce a host of impact deals for ILBs.
Pratt enjoyed a strong contract year but could only score a three-year, $20.25MM accord in free agency. The Bengals brought back Pratt while letting safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell walk. Pratt received just $7MM guaranteed. It should be expected Wilson’s contract will provide him more security, as the Bengals have relied on the Wyoming alum as a three-down player — responsibilities that Pratt does not have on a full-time basis — during their rise into an AFC power.
It will be interesting to see what the Bengals are guaranteeing Wilson, as a $9.3MM AAV leaves a bit to be desired for a player who would have certainly enjoyed a nice market — barring a major injury — in 2024. The cap’s restoration following a 2021 reduction will give teams more to spend, and this year’s ILB market did include $18MM- and $10MM-per-year payments — to Tremaine Edmunds and Bobby Okereke. The round of Pratt-level pacts handed out may have come about because of the volume of second-tier-type off-ball ‘backers available. But Wilson had wanted to sign an extension before the season, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (subscription required), and will bypass a free agency bid, giving the Bengals what looks like a big win ahead of the 2023 season.
From Boyd to Bates to Higgins to Pratt to Sam Hubbard, the Bengals have found several quality starters on Day 2 of the draft over the past several years. Wilson is squarely on that list, arriving as the No. 65 overall pick in 2020. The Bengals made Wilson a full-time player in 2021, giving him an 83% defensive snap rate. Last season, Wilson played a career-high 955 defensive snaps — a 97% rate — and ranked as a top-20 linebacker in the view of Pro Football Focus. Wilson’s coverage chops represented a key reason for that ranking, with PFF slotting him as a top-15 coverage ‘backer.
After a 100-tackle 2021, Wilson made 123 stops last season. Despite his linebacker role, Wilson has intercepted seven passes and deflected 11 more over the first three years of his career. Wilson added 2.5 sacks and seven QB hits last season, solidifying himself as one of the NFL’s top young linebackers. The Bengals lost both their starting safeties from the past three years, but DC Lou Anarumo will have his top two linebackers locked down for the foreseeable future. While Pratt’s contract is a pay-as-you-go setup, he is signed through 2025. Wilson is locked in through 2027.
Very happy about this signing…surprised tho, that they locked up both linebackers. Great news for the D. The guy is a straight playmaker. They just kept 2 extremely good linebackers for a fraction of the price they would have had to pay the good (not great) safeties. Bates is not a playmaker, never has been (I know someone will throw that ignorance out there). They chose correctly.
Wilson always seems to miss games due to injuries every year..
I think that a lot of this team seems to really enjoy being together and know they have a chance to bring the first Super Bowl Title to Cincy. A lot of their contracts seem to be a little lower than market value so they can mostly stick together and get a title.
Well, they did have 4 people leave during free agency.
A malcontent (Bates) a backup running back(Perrine),a TE (who was only so-so). The only one who hurt was Von Bell. Oh, I forgot, that ball hawk, that gamer, that uhh guy who couldn’t cover my 80 year old dad, Eli Apple.
Most people thought Perine was better than Mixon. Hayden Hurst is better than the guy replacing him. Bates wasn’t a malcontent, he just wanted to be paid. There’s not much loyalty in football and the Bengals are no different
There’s no reason Bates should be paid top money. When you start throwing a fit and sitting out practices you are a malcontent. Who would you spend the money on Burrow, Higgins, Chase , Brown or Bates,? He was good, but not even top 10. Perrine got tired of being a backup, but I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be the top guy in Denver either. Any tight end would look good with Burrow throwing to him, but he was a pretty good at his job.
Typical fan. If Bates decided to stay, every Bengal fan would have rejoiced but because he left, good riddance. Everyone was so sure Pratt was gonna leave especially after what he said about Ossai. All the Bengals fans were like….we don’t want him. Then he resigned and suddenly he’s one of the best Linebackers. The Bengals aren’t any different than anyone else. Most players will leave for the money. Pratt found that he probably didn’t have a better offer and Wilson found that Linebackers are beginning to get devalued like running back unless you’re a superstar
Considering I have been a Bengals fan since their founding I find your comment a little presumptuous. Typical fan. Really? Bates was not a “great player” he was an adequate player. He may have been the best the Bengals had, but that doesn’t make him one of the best in the league. When a player gets a few years in they believe they have seniority and deserve top pay wether they are elite or not. You can demand top money, but the owners aren’t obligated to pay it. Sometimes you bet on yourself and win and sometimes you lose. Look at the huge list of RB’s with nowhere to play. Bates got his money, albeit on what’s going to be a very bad team in Atlanta. Yay for him. The Bengals thought they could get along without him and use the 15-20 million a year on someone else. Namely Burrow, Higgins,Chase, etc. Those names put butts in the seats and money in the coffers. Nobody will be lamenting the loss of Bates, in fact in 2 years nobody will remember his name in all likelihood. Hope he’s glad he got his money and he can count it while watching the playoffs and Superbowl on TV
The Falcons signed a lot of players and play in a weak division. There’s a decent chance he’ll be in the playoffs. Didn’t people say the same thing about the Bengals a few years ago? Why would Vonn Bell, Awusie, Hilton and Hendrickson sign with the lowly Bengals? Money is king. Don’t believe the fake news about Bengal players taking less money so they can go to the playoffs. Every year teams surprise. Bengals, Jaguars the last 2 years and the Jets and Lions this year.
The Bengals and the Chiefs are quite similar – as they both think they have good teams when in reality all they have is a superstar QB. If their star QBs get injured they’d both win about 5 games.
There aren’t many teams that are going to win many games if they lose their starting QB.
No way… if your starting qb gets injured you wont win games? What a brilliant theory!
A theory that got crushed in 1972 when backup Earl Morrall subbing for an injured Brian Griese went 9-0 and was a major factor in the Dolphins having the NFLs only undefeated season.
Nick Foles is more recent but it doesn’t happen often. That’s 2 times in 50 years.
I think the tally of exceptional efforts by backup QBs is higher than that. Frank Reich for example, led the Bills to a 32 point comeback win in a 1993 playoff game against the Oilers, setting a record in the process.
3…..in 50 years. Can we agree that it’s not a common occurrence? Especially in today’s NFL where there’s a salary cap. Most teams can’t afford to roster a high price backup unless their quarterback is still on a rookie deal
It’s not a common occurrence but that’s largely because the opportunities don’t present themselves frequently. I see the importance of backup QBs increasing as the league will eventually adopt an 18 game schedule. Even if your paying a starter $50M per year there is a limit to how many snaps he can take before he suffers an injury and when that time comes you’re going to need insurance in the form of a capable backup.