The Arizona Cardinals have taken the field without their true No. 1 wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., as the former top-five draft pick has missed time with injury and illness thus far in 2025.
You’d normally think that it would be impossible to replace the production of someone as highly touted as Harrison, but the truth is that it has been incredibly easy. You’d think it would be tight-end, Trey McBride, picking up most of the slack, which he absolutely has. However, if we told you that Michael Wilson has overachieved exponentially, you probably wouldn’t believe it.
Wilson has done everything and then some for the Arizona offense. In his last three games serving as the team’s No. 1 option, Wilson has hauled in double-digit receptions while eclipsing 100 receiving yards each time. In his most recent outing, which occurred against the Los Angeles Rams at home, he hauled in 11-of-16 targets for 142 yards and a touchdown.
The touchdown came in the first quarter when quarterback Jacoby Brissett found Wilson on a 19-yard pass to the right, giving the Cardinals an early 7–0 lead. Unfortunately, the L.A. offense caught fire while the Arizona defense folded, as they lost 45–17.
Wilson stepping up in the absence of Harrison has been vital, as the Cardinals have seen so many injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, it hasn’t only been injuries at wide receiver, as the team has been without its true starting quarterback since Week 5.
Kyler Murray has been sidelined since Week 5 with a foot injury, and Jacoby Brissett has been starting in his place. But the truth is that the Cardinals have run a much more methodical offense under Brissett, which may be the true reason why Arizona has yet to insert Murray back lineup.
In the eight starts Brissett has seen, he has posted a 3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio while throwing for 2,459 yards.
Michael Wilson has played a massive role in Brissett’s resurgence as a starter, as he has served as the 32-year-old’s security blanket. The only downside about the way Brissett and Wilson have looked is the fact that the team is 1–7 over the last eight games.
Wilson, 25, is a former third-round pick from 2023, and he has made a case to earn a second contract with Arizona. Set to earn $1.68 in his contract year, general manager Monti Ossenfort may have to entertain the idea of bringing the former Stanford Cardinal back long-term. It will definitely be intriguing to see how he approaches this idea, as Wilson is eligible for an extension this upcoming offseason.