A breakout season landed Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson a massive payday.
The wide receiver agreed to a three-year extension, the team announced on Thursday, Sept. 3. The deal is worth $75 million according to multiple reports.
Wilson, 26, had been set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. He was expected to be one of the top free agents in 2027 had he made it to the market, coming in as the No. 4 receiver and No. 16 player overall in USA TODAY Sports' early rankings.
A third-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, Wilson made modest contributions as a regular starter his first two seasons before fully breaking out in Year 3. With top target Marvin Harrison Jr. battling injuries and inconsistency, Wilson stepped up as a needed
perimeter threat. He came on strong down the second half of the season and finished with 1,006 receiving yards, which ranked 18th in the NFL.
General manager Monti Ossenfort said during the offseason that the Cardinals "want Michael here for a long time."
First-year coach Mike LaFleur said Wilson would operate in a capacity comparable to the role Puka Nacua has filled for the Los Angeles Rams, for whom LaFleur previously served as offensive coordinator.
"All the cool stuff Puka does with the ball in the air, but it's really all the cool stuff he does without the ball, and so that's where you see some of that same stuff from a guy like Michael Wilson," LaFleur told reporters in June.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cardinals shell out big-money extension to breakout wide receiver
