The most common sense thing for the Dallas Cowboys to do for the last 4 games of the regular season is to try and play their best players. Sounds simple, right?
Not always. This is the Cowboys. Nothing is simple.
The Cowboys have insisted on keeping Kenneth Murray at linebacker ahead of Logan Wilson, who they acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals on November 4, and it’s become impossible to not only ignore Murray’s terrible play but to also ignore why they’re not giving Wilson more of a shot.
If it could mean the difference between making the playoffs or not, the Cowboys and embattled defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus might want to try playing Wilson.
At this point, it’s not even clear why the Cowboys went after Wilson if they’re going to keep paying him behind Murray, who is objectively one of the worst inside linebackers in the NFL.
According to Pro Football Focus, Murray’s 36.8 overall grade puts him 82nd out of 85 eligible inside linebackers.
“Why did we trade for Logan Wilson?” Cowboys fan Meccha Mike wrote on X. “I don’t want to hear the ‘he needs to learn the playbook’ excuse. Your starter doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Wilson is also getting paid a lot of money to sit — he still has 2 more years left on a 4-year, $36 million contract.
“I still don’t understand why Kenneth Murray is allowed to take the field on defense when you have Logan Wilson,” Cowboys fan Honest Gabe wrote on X. “The math isn’t mathing.”
Cowboys Ripped for Making Murray Trade
The Cowboys actually traded for both Murray and Wilson, although the Murray trade has been much more of a talking point for how bad he’s been.
“They traded for Kenneth Murray Jr., who, I’m just not a fan of his game, to be honest,” ESPN’s Mina Kimes said on June 4. “And I don’t think he solves any of their problem … that’s a very, very weak linebacker group. That’s been the Achilles heel of their defense, of course.”
The Cowboys obtained Murray in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on March 5, sending a 2025 sixth round pick to the Titans in exchange for Murray and a 2025 seventh round pick (No. 239 overall) the Cowboys used on Clemson running back Phil Mafah.
There’s very little Murray does well at inside linebacker besides rush the passer.
In 2024, his 45.9 overall grade from PFF was one of the worst in the NFL for his position — 169th out of 189 eligible players at his position — and showed Murray was almost equally as bad against the pass as he was against the run.
Established NFL Playmaker in AFC North
Wilson, 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, was a 2-time All-Mountain West Conference pick at the University of Wyoming before the Bengals selected him in the third round (No. 65 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.
Wilson became a full time starter in his second season — the same year the Bengals shocked the NFL and played in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988.
In the last 4 seasons, Wilson has over 100 tackles each year and his “difference making” career numbers jump off the page; 12 career interceptions, 7 forced fumbles, 26 pass deflections, 19 TFL and 18 QB hits.
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