During his six seasons as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, the only defender who played more snaps for Lou Anarumo than Logan Wilson was his fellow linebacker Germaine Pratt. Now, Wilson has been released by the Cowboys, and Indianapolis is thin at linebacker. How likely is it that Wilson rejoins his former defensive coordinator as a Colt in 2026?
That is no doubt going to depend on Wilson’s health and his contract demands, as well as whatever interest he might receive from other teams. But if you were in the handicapping business, you would have to make Indianapolis the frontrunner to sign the former University of Wyoming star.
Any possible signing is made a bit more complicated by Pratt’s pending free agency. Then, consider that the Colts have only one experienced linebacker currently under contract for next season – Zaire Franklin. He could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Clearly, the Colts’ linebacking corps is in a state of flux.
Is Logan Wilson destined to be with the Indianapolis Colts in 2026?
Wilson and Pratt played well together between 2021 and 2024. Perhaps they were not elite, but they were a solid pair, and Wilson in particular appeared to be ascending. A knee injury toward the end of the 2024 season derailed his rise.
The 6’2”, 245-pound linebacker was chosen by the Bengals in the 3rd round of the 2020 draft. He was a rotational player as a rookie, then took over a regular starting position in 2021. He played more than 2,000 snaps in 2023 and ’24, developing into a more complete linebacker.
Coming out of college, he had been viewed as a very good downhill run stopper who might struggle to stay on the field in passing situations. He had his best season in 2023, when he was credited with 135 tackles and nine pass defenses.
He was on pace to blow that tackle number away in 2024 when he went down with an undisclosed knee injury in the 11th game of the season. The knee required surgery, and he missed the remainder of the year.
2025 did not go well. Anarumo and Pratt were gone. Wilson was medically cleared to play, but he did not look like the same player. The Bengals traded him to Dallas in the middle of the season, where he failed to make a mark.
But Wilson is still just 29. He turns 30 this summer. It is not unusual for players coming off of knee surgery to look rusty at first. Often, it takes a full year for them to regain their form. So the question for Chris Ballard is whether Logan Wilson just needed a little more time to return to form, or whether his best days are behind him.
If it’s the former, then Wilson, reunited with Anarumo on what will likely be a team-friendly contract, may be too good a gamble to pass up. If the Colts can re-sign Pratt, there would certainly be great familiarity between the coordinator and his two linebackers.
Zaire Franklin struggled in Amarumo’s system early in 2025. His running mate, E.J. Speed, had left for Houston, and his presumed replacement, Jaylon Carlies, was hurt. The Colts began the season with Joe Bachie, another cast-off from Cincinnati, starting alongside Franklin. Bachie was primarily a special teamer throughout his career, but he did know Anarumo’s system.
After Bachie got hurt (and was eventually released), the Colts had the chance to bring Pratt to town. His knowledge immediately upgraded the defense. He performed well, and Franklin began looking more comfortable.
The Colts could save some money if they release Franklin. That money could go toward re-signing offensive stars like Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce. Or it could go toward re-signing Pratt. And now, it looks like parting ways with Franklin could also lead to reuniting Wilson with both Anarumo and Pratt.
When Bachie was signed, few people in the league seemed to even notice. But when Pratt arrived, that Bachie signing began to look like a harbinger. Anarumo appears to be more comfortable with linebackers who understand his system.
Now he has the chance to get another one. Even if Ballard manages to re-sign Pratt and hold onto Franklin, bringing Logan Wilson to Indy seems to make a lot of sense.