Zac Taylor provides update on Logan Wilson, state of Bengals’ d-line as injuries mount

It was only a matter of time before the injury bug hit the Cincinnati Bengals in a big way.

A key reason for the Bengals’ success in 2021 was that they were one of the league’s most healthy teams throughout the entire season. That’s not the case right now for them on defense.

The Bengals lost their best interior lineman in D.J. Reader to a knee injury in Week 4. The expectation is that Reader would miss at least six weeks so although he appears to be rehabbing well and is now off his crutches, he’s not coming back anytime soon.

Williams:How Joe Burrow washes away growing doubts about Cincinnati Bengals season

Analysis:How Bengals' Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase found their mojo again

Reader is one of Cincinnati’s team captains and the anchor of the defensive line. Prior to his injury, he was having the best season of his professional career. The Bengals’ run defense was a top-10 unit when he was on the field, largely because of Reader.

'He's irreplaceable': Zac Taylor on D.J. Reader

“He’s irreplaceable,” head coach Zac Taylor said of Reader. “One of the premier defensive tackles in the National Football League. Probably doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s done. But in our locker room, our coaching staff, him being voted team captain has allowed him to stand out in a way. That combination of him and B.J. is good together. So we’ll be happy when he comes back. But I don’t know the timeline.”

Defensive tackle Josh Tupou was playing in place of Reader and he suffered an injury against the Saints that kept him on the sidelines for the remainder of the game. Tupou’s injured his calf and will be out for a couple of weeks at least, according to Taylor.

The injuries don’t stop there.

Prior to the kickoff of the Saints' game, rookie Jeff Gunter was carted off the field during warmups as he dislocated his knee. He is also going to be placed in the week-to-week category. Gunter is listed as the No. 3 defensive end behind Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai.

Cincinnati needs to stay healthy at defensive end for the time being or things could get troublesome.

Logan Wilson injured vs. Saints

To cap things off, the Bengals' worst injury in Week 6 was to middle linebacker Logan Wilson, who was ruled out with a shoulder injury. This comes a year after he injured the same right shoulder and spent the whole offseason rehabbing. When asked what Wilson’s status will be moving forward, Taylor was hesitant to put any specific timelines out there.

“Right now, we're hopeful it's week to week but we're gonna get some more information here today and tomorrow and so I'll probably have a better update for you on Wednesday,” Taylor said.

Wearing the green dot for the Bengals on defense, Wilson is responsible for getting every player lined up correctly after defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo communicates the calls to him.

When Wilson went out against the Saints, linebacker Germaine Pratt took on those duties.

But it’s not just Wilson’s communication and leadership skills that Cincinnati’s defense relies on. He’s a playmaker who the Bengals need on the field. The third-year linebacker has recorded 37 tackles this season, two pass deflections and one interception.

If the Bengals will be without Tupou, Reader and Wilson in their next two games, things could get interesting as far as who steps up. The Falcons and Browns are both run-first teams and the Bengals will need to play better than they did against the Saints to win.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals injuries starting to mount up for defense