Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson said he was disgusted by the personal nature of some messages he received on social media following Thursday night’s game when his tackle of Mark Andrews resulted in the tight end cracking his fibula and likely being lost for the season.
The play came on a hip-drop tackle that has become a controversial talking point recently, including discussions this offseason about banning it.
Bengals Linebacker Pushes Back on Personal Attacks
Wilson wasn’t happy about some of the messages that brought his wife and unborn daughter into the conversation, and he wanted to make it clear Wednesday that there was no ill intent on his part.
#Bengals LB Logan Wilson on the criticism and vitriol directed his way since Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/fCeXgfljRh
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 22, 2023
“It’s kind of the world we live in right now, and some of it obviously was very unnecessary, coming at me and my family for really no reason,” he said. “I wasn’t playing the game dirty. I never wish any harm on any player I ever go against. I play my heart out every game, play my butt off, and sometimes those injuries happen.”
MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart
“If people would notice,” Wilson continued, “I was one of the first people on a knee when Mark went down because you never want that to happen to a guy. Especially him. He’s a good dude.”
NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport stoked the vitriol by pointing out that three Wilson hits led to Baltimore injuries Thursday night, even though the second and third tackles involved routine pursuit and technique.
Amazon Prime announcers Al Michael and Kirk Herbstreit kept going back to the fact that all three injuries were the result of Wilson’s plays as well.
The next day, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor stopped himself from walking away from the dais after his news conference ended and said he wanted to address what he called a completely reckless narrative about Wilson.
“One thing that was frustrating is the narrative that’s been brought up about Logan Wilson,” Taylor said. “Logan is everything we want to be about with the way he plays the game. He plays with a toughness and physicality I think is important at that position. It’s been brought to my attention the narrative that’s out there right now, which I think is completely reckless. He plays the game the right way.
“People have gotten ahead of themselves. Labeled him a certain way. It’s frustrating to see that. I know what the guy is about and that guys are playing the game the right way. He’s a guy I’m proud to coach and proud to be a part of this team. Frustrating and a little bit maddening when you see the narrative about him.”
Wilson said he heard those comments and they meant a lot to him during a difficult time.
“I really appreciated that,” he said. “I think that just speaks volumes about the guy and coach that he is and why guys love him so much and love playing for him. Sometimes, coaches really wouldn’t go out of their way. It wasn’t like he was asked about it. He went out of his way to say that, and that’s why I love playing for him.”
MORE: Pro Football Network’s Week 12 NFL Power Rankings
Asked if anyone from Baltimore has reached out to him, Wilson said, “Some fans. But no, no one has specifically reached out. I saw what Patrick Queen said and what Patrick Ricard said, and that was good to see.”
“Everybody respects him,” Ricard said in an article on baltimoreravens.com. “I don’t think it was intentional or dirty. I think he’s a great player. I have respect for him and think he plays the right way. I’ve never had a problem with him or heard that anyone had a problem with him.”
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo weighed in on Wilson’s character and the hip-drop debate prior to Wednesday’s practice.
“There’s not a better guy out there,” Anarumo said. “There’s not a guy that plays the game the right way or harder than he does.”
“I don’t think anybody is trying to get themselves in that position,” Anarumo continued. “I just think that during the natural course of trying to tackle a guy, sometimes the defenders slide down, and they’re not, you know, not necessarily trying to; it’s just something that happens during the tackle.
“I know the league is looking at it. We have a wrap-and-roll tackle. We have a same-foot, same-shoulder tackle. We don’t have anything called a hip-drop tackle. We’ve never said that — never talked about it. I don’t know that anybody that in my years of coaching has ever said those words.”
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!
Listen to the PFN Bengals Podcast
Listen to the PFN Bengals Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Bengals Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Bengals Podcast on our NFL YouTube channel.