Originally a sixth-round pick of the Bengals in 2017, Wilson serves as a reserve S and the No. 1 KOR for Cincinnati, but his 2021 season ended in Game 9 after suffering a left knee injury ... Averaged 22.4 yards on 13 KORs prior to injury, and had three tackles each on defense and special teams ... Has two career kickoff returns for TDs (tied with Tremain Mack for the most in Bengals history), including a 103-yarder in 2020 which stands as the longest play in team history ... Played in 15 games in 2020, and returned 24 kickoffs for 629 yards and a TD, and was second on the team with nine ST tackles ... In 2019, finished with an NFL-best 31.3-yard average on kickoff returns (minimum 20 attempts); that mark was also the second-best in Bengals history ... According to NFL's Next Gen Stats, he reached 22.03 MPH on his 92-yard KOR for a TD at Baltimore in 2019, good for the fastest speed by a Bengals ball carrier since NGS' launch in 2016.
Career transactions: Selected by Cincinnati in sixth round of 2017 NFL Draft (207th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 5-15-17 ... Waived by Bengals on 9-2-17 ... Signed to Bengals practice squad on 9-3-17 ... Signed to Bengals roster on 11-11-17 ... Received tender offer from Bengals on 3-8-19 ... Re-signed with Bengals on 3-11-19 (signed tender prior to contract expiring) ... Received tender offer from Bengals on 3-16-20 ... Bengals contract expired on 3-18-20; became restricted free agent ... Re-signed with Bengals as restricted free agent on 4-26-20 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 3-16-21.
Pro career: 2017—Played in eight games (no starts) as a rookie ... Spent first eight games of season on Cincinnati's practice squad, before signing to active roster prior to Game 9 ... Despite playing just half the season, finished tied for fourth on the team with five special teams tackles. 2018—Played in all 16 games ... Saw action on 54 defensive snaps, and had two tackles ... Played 62.2 percent of special teams snaps, the third-highest percentage on the team, and his nine special teams tackles were second on the team ... Recorded season-high four special teams tackles on Nov. 18 at Baltimore. 2019—Played in 12 games (two starts) ... Spent just eight games as Bengals' No. 1 KOR, but his 20 returns for 625 yards were good for an NFL-best 31.3-yard average (minimum 20 attempts) ... Taken to the thousandth decimal place however, his 31.250 average fell just shy of Adam Jones' Bengals-record 31.259 average from 2014 ... Tied for NFL lead with four KORs of more than 40 yards ... Played 183 snaps on defense, seeing time mainly as a rotational DB, and recorded 18 tackles and two FFs ... Also had six special teams tackles on the season, which tied for third on the team ... Spent Games 1-4 as reserve KOR behind CB Darius Phillips, then was thrust into KOR duty in Game 5, Oct. 6 vs. Arizona after Phillips left game with an injury; Wilson against Arizona had three returns for 97 yards, including a 52-yarder on his first return ... Returned opening kickoff 92 yards for a TD on Oct. 13 at Baltimore, the first Bengals KOR for a TD since Bernard Scott in 2009, and the first-ever KOR for a TD by a Bengal to start a game ... The NFL's Next Gen Stats service, which tracks players' speed by using GPS, clocked his KOR at 22.03 MPH, the third-fastest by an NFL ball carrier in 2019, and the fastest by a Bengal since NGS' launch in '16 ... Totaled season-high 142 KOR yards (47.3 average) at Baltimore, and also forced a fumble by Ravens TE Mark Andrews that the Bengals recovered and turned into a FG drive ... On Sept. 30 at Pittsburgh, he stopped Steelers RBs for no gain on consecutive plays — a third-and-one and fourth-and-one — to give Cincinnati the ball back ... Injured his right hand while making a tackle in Game 12, Dec. 1 vs. N.Y. Jets, and was placed on Reserve/Injured on Dec. 6. 2020—Played in 15 games ... Inactive for Game 13 (hamstring) ... Totaled four tackles and a FF on defense, along with nine special teams tackles (second on team) ... Also served as Bengals' No. 1 KOR, and returned 24 kicks for 629 yards (26.2 average) and a TD ... Set up a Bengals TD drive with a 49-yard KOR on Nov. 1 vs. Tennessee, and finished the game with 97 returning yards ... On Nov. 29 vs. the N.Y. Giants, returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a TD, good for the longest play of any kind in team history. 2021—Played in nine regular-season games (one start) for AFC Champion Bengals, before suffering season-ending left knee injury on Nov. 7 vs. Cleveland ... Started at S on Sept. 30 vs. Jacksonville in place of injured Jessie Bates ... Averaged 22.4 yards on 13 KORs, and had three tackles each on defense and special teams ... Placed Nov. 9 on Reserve/Injured, where he stayed for remainder of regular season and throughout Cincinnati's run to Super Bowl LVI.
College: Played four years at Houston (2013-16), with a redshirt year in 2012 ... Considered one of the top playmakers in college football, he scored eight career TDs in six different ways (two rushing, two kickoff returns, a missed FG return, FR return, INT return and blocked FG return) ... Saw extended time at RB, in addition to his normal duties as a CB and kickoff returner ... Totaled 81 career tackles, including 17 TFLs and four sacks, with five pass breakups and three FRs ... Also had 44 kick returns for 1121 yards and two TDs ... Career offensive totals were 41 rushes for 194 yards (4.7) and two TDs, and 11 receptions for 101 yards ... In 2016, led Houston in tackles in upset win over Oklahoma and made one of college football's signature plays of the year, when he returned a missed FG 109 yards for a TD.
High school/personal: Hometown is Shreveport, La. ... Attended Calvary Academy in Shreveport, where he rushed for 1800 yards and 21 TDs as a senior, and totaled another 500 yards and six more scores receiving ... Sports administration major at Houston.
