The Bengals solidified their youth movement at linebacker before Tuesday's trade deadline when they moved Logan Wilson to the Cowboys for Dallas' seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Since the Oct. 12 game in Green Bay, the same day quarterback Joe Flacco made his first Bengals start, they turned to rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter with Wilson in a reserve role.
That's the day head coach Zac Taylor opted to start Carter with Wilson's green dot helmet that signifies the defensive playcaller. Carter, a fourth-rounder from Clemson, is coming off his third double-digit tackling game in his four starts, and Knight, a second-rounder from South Carolina, leads all rookie linebackers with 68 combined tackles, according to Pro Football Reference.
After Wilson (calf) missed last Sunday's game, Taylor reiterated his support for his young backers. Ever since the spring, he has been impressed with the pair's maturity and leadership beyond their years.
"That's just the decision we made. That's just work through it. We see the potential with these guys," Taylor said on Monday. "We see some leadership quality with these guys. It's not going to be perfect, and there are going to be some learning moments, but I believe in them that we're going to start playing at a high level.
"Our guys are in (NFL) starts nine and five. So there are going to be things they're going to learn on the fly. I trust those guys. That's why they're out there, because I see the potential they have."