Arizona Cardinals’ GM Monti Ossenfort did this new offense a huge favor: He did not drag out receiver Michael Wilson’s contract extension.
This was expected, but at what point in the season? Most GMs wait until December to determine what a player is worth. But that
can backfire very easily. If the player has an incredible season after 10-12 games, his value rises quite a bit. The flip side is that GMs assume that some players will lay off after getting bank and not have to play all out at an elite level simply because they got their money already.
RELATED: CARDINALS AND WILSON AGREE TO 3-YEAR EXTENSION
But most of the fanbase, the media, and this new Cardinals coaching staff have found out one thing about Wilson: He would play for free.
He isn’t going to do less. He isn’t going to take plays off. It is very apparent that he loves the game, and he is happy with playing this game in the desert. Wilson doesn’t need tape to show his next team. He is with the team he loves. Wilson signed his extension in Tempe in front of his daughter Gigi and mother, Ngaire. His wife, Sophia, was in Portland for a game with the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. Wilson is now under contract through the 2029 season.
When the franchise drafted Marv Harrison (6’-3”, 220 pounds) with the fourth pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the thought process was that the team would gravitate around their shiny new toy. But that hasn’t happened. Wilson (6’-2”, 213 pounds) came to Arizona as the #31 selection in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL draft. Earlier, they took OT Paris Johnson, DE B.J. Ojulari, and CB Garrett Williams.
His ascension began last season because of two separate injuries. Harrison, nicknamed “Maserati Marv” in college, was the undisputed #1 receiver before he suffered a concussion, had an appendectomy in November, then suffered a heel injury in Week 13 and a foot injury in Week 17.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals offense was manned by QB Kyler Murray. In Week 5, he suffered a foot injury against the winless Tennessee Titans and then was ruled out for the next three games. On November 5, the franchise placed Murray on IR.
During the time Murray was the starting QB, Wilson’s stats were as follows:
- Week 1 (Saints) – Targets: 4, receptions: 1, yards: 5, touchdowns: 0, yards per catch average: 5.0
- Week 2 (Panthers) – Targets: 2, receptions: 1, yards: 11, touchdowns: 1, yards per catch average: 11.0
- Week 3 (49ers) – Targets: 2, receptions: 1, yards: 5, touchdowns: 0, yards per catch average: 5.0
- Week 4 (Seahawks) – Targets: 6, receptions: 3, yards: 15, touchdowns: 0, yards per catch average: 5.0
- Week 5 (Titans) – Targets: 4, receptions: 2, yards: 16, touchdowns: 0, yards per catch average: 8.0
When veteran backup Jacoby Brissett took over in Week 6, he found a friend in Wilson and TE Trey McBride. Brissett was more patient in the pocket than Murray, who would dart from the protection quickly, then look to throw or flat-out run for yardage.
Wilson suddenly was targeted more, which means his catches increased. In five games, Wilson had double-digit targets, including a season-high 18 in Week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers. He ended the season with 126 targets, 78 receptions for 1,006 yards, and seven tuddies.
Quite a bit of a difference from starting the season with 18 targets, 8 receptions for 52 yards, and one score.
But some have mentioned that Wilson played great while Harrison was out and had minimal stats when Harrison and other receivers returned to the lineup. Cardinals Insider Kyle Odegard mentioned this regarding the franchise giving an extension now to Wilson instead of waiting to see if he could have some consistency in multiple seasons:
“This is a tricky negotiation to me. Put up crazy numbers when MHJ was hurt and very little when everyone was healthy. Cardinals should try to slow-play it, while Wilson needs to play hardball and try to get a deal done.”
And now, Wilson has an up-to-date deal. What are folks saying about the new contract?
Bryan DeArdo – CBS Sports
“Wilson has parlayed his breakout 2025 season into a life-altering contract extension. Making Wilson’s success even more impressive is the fact that he was often the primary focus of opposing defenses. There was a good chance it would rise again if he was able to duplicate or exceed last year’s numbers this season. Instead of paying more or potentially losing him in free agency, the Cardinals chose to take care of Wilson now while keeping him under contract for the foreseeable future.”
Josh Weinfuss – ESPN Arizona
“Wilson’s final average per year is almost $10 million more than what was initially offered, a source said. The deal took months because whenever Wilson’s team countered, the Cardinals would raise their offer incrementally, the source added, causing negotiations to become stale in training camp. It was Wilson who decided on a three-year contract instead of four years, according to the source.”
Jeremy Bergman – NFL.com
“Wilson logged his first 1,000-yard season in 2025, hauling in seven touchdowns on 78 receptions and targeted by Cardinals quarterbacks a career-high 126 times. As the campaign wore on and Arizona fell out of playoff contention, Wilson saw even more action. His target share rose from 11.0% over the first five weeks to 23.2% from Week 6 on, per NFL Pro, as Arizona was trailing or tied on 651 of 769 plays (84.7%) from Week 6 through the regular season, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. With a young roster and first-year head coach in Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals will at least have the steady Wilson to look to, for now and the years to come.”
Darren Urban – azcardinals.com
“On Thursday, Wilson and the team made sure that viewpoint would not change anytime soon. He had been scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, but signed a three-year contract extension. Mike LaFleur found Wilson right before the signing to give him a congratulatory hug and left clapping enthusiastically for the move. He had been a steady pass catcher through most of his career, but after Jacoby Brissett took over as quarterback in the sixth game of 2025, Wilson’s play and production hit a new level. He wanted to be in Arizona. And he’s glad it turned out that way.”
Tyler Drake – Arizona Sports
“Wilson emerged as a true WR1 for the franchise with injuries and inconsistency plaguing Marvin Harrison Jr.; Wilson stepped into a much larger role midway through the year. Throughout training camp and the preseason, the wide receiver has flashed all the intangibles needed to take over the Puka Nacua role in head coach Mike LaFleur’s offense. Whether he’s playing the Z, X, Y, or running the rock, Wilson looks poised to produce in Arizona’s new-look offense.”
Rob Maaddi – Yahoo! Sports
“Wilson became the latest NFL wide receiver to land a lucrative deal before the season. Wilson is coming off his best NFL season in 2025. The extension is worth $75 million, including $47 million guaranteed, and has a maximum value of $78 million. He’s the latest in a growing list of top receivers to get paid handsomely since March.”
Adam La Rose – Pro Football Rumors
“Wilson has seen his target share increase year over year. During the closing stages of last season in particular, Wilson was among the league’s most productive wideouts. The Brissett-Wilson connection is on track to continue for at least one more season, although the Cardinals’ setup under center past that point is unclear. This Wilson investment could age well for Arizona.”
Theo Mackie – Arizona Republic
“Michael Wilson is with the Arizona Cardinals for the long haul. Wilson’s 2025 season contained three distinct chapters. With Kyler Murray, Wilson was a role player, averaging just 10.4 yards per game. Over the next four games, that average jumped to a healthy 44.8 yards per game. And with Marvin Harrison Jr. injured for much of the back half of the season, Wilson went nuclear, averaging 96.9 yards over the final eight games. Wilson’s deal has the potential to look quite team-friendly if he can replicate his 2025 performance. In interviews, Wilson has repeatedly been open about the challenge of that persistent losing. But in signing his extension, he saw that not as a deterrent, but as motivation.”
