Michael Wilson is heading into the season with the memory of a breakthrough year still fresh—78 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns. Through the early games of his run, he kept building, and now, with contract-extension eligibility on the table, he wa
Michael Wilson still remembers how far the season had to travel just to get him back to the numbers he’d dreamed about.
Over his first two seasons, the Cardinals wide receiver caught 85 passes for 1,113 yards and seven touchdowns. Last season, that momentum turned into a statement line: 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns.
What makes it stick is the way it started. Through the first five games, Wilson had eight catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Then the quarterback situation shifted when Jacoby Brissett replaced Kyler Murray in Week 6. Injuries followed too—Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones went out with injuries in Week 11. Through it all, Wilson kept showing up, logging 593 routes for the season, the third-most in the NFL.
“*If myself from February could have went back to myself in October and said. like. ‘Hey. man. you’re going to have a thousand. ’*” Wilson said. via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “*I probably would have been like, ‘Jesus Christ. I don’t know what would have happened for me to get a thousand. but some pretty cool stuff would have had to happen.*”.
And then, with a grin that sounded earned, he added: “*And, so, yeah, I’m still proud of myself for that.*”
That pride now comes with a new deadline: Wilson is eligible for a contract extension. But he insists the business side won’t change how he works day to day. “*I don’t want that to affect how I show up every single day because ultimately that stuff is going to take care of itself. *” Wilson said. “*What I did last year, I can’t change. Like, that’s my resume, that’s what we’re going off of.*”.
His message gets sharper as the calendar turns. “*But as soon as Week 1 starts and we’re playing against [the] L.A. Chargers, contract stuff, that stuff doesn’t matter. What I did last year doesn’t matter.*”
He doesn’t say it like a slogan. He says it like a plan—tomorrow, the next day after that, and every day that follows. “*I need to make sure I’m taking care of what I can now, tomorrow, the next day after that. That’s going to help me sort of replicate that season and build upon that.*”
The route numbers already show the volume is there. The next step is whether Wilson can turn another uneven start—eight catches for 52 yards and a touchdown through the first five games—into a season that lands in the same rare air. He’s aiming to build on what he earned last year, starting with Week 1 against the L.A. Chargers.
Michael Wilson Arizona Cardinals Week 1 Los Angeles Chargers contract extension Kyler Murray Jacoby Brissett Marvin Harrison Jr. Zay Jones NFL receiving stats
He wants to repeat 1,000 yards like it’s easy lol. Chargers game already gonna decide his whole season apparently.
So Brissett replaced Kyler and then he broke out? I swear quarterbacks change everything but then everyone says it’s the receiver. Also 593 routes?? That sounds made up like video game stats.
Contract extension eligibility on the table and he’s like “doesn’t matter”… sure buddy. If he didn’t care he wouldn’t be talking about it. I’m betting he’s gonna slack early again because of that “Week 1 starts vs Chargers” focus.
I don’t get why they keep mentioning the first 5 games like that’s the only thing. He had a thousand last year so the start should be irrelevant, but now they’re acting like he has to “repeat” the exact same arc? Also Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones being injured… that’s probably why his targets went up, not him “showing up” or whatever.