We’ve all been there: got fired from a job, and you’re in your feelings. Whether it's being let go from a fast-food restaurant or laid off from your barge loading position, or receiving a pink slip from a prestigious newspaper, most people get fired at some point in their lives.
How you handle it is your own business. And look, it’s fine to hold a little grudge against your former employers if you’ve got some lingering animosity. But if you’re going to trash them in a public Instagram comments section, be prepared for the backlash.
Such was the lesson Marco Wilson learned.
Former CB Marco Wilson Said ‘Playing For The Cardinals’ Was A Mistake
On June 9, the All Eyes DB Camp Instagram account posted a clip of Marco Wilson attempting to cover Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle. “WHAT did HE do WRONG?” asked the account.
“Play for the Cardinals,” Marco Wilson wrote in a now-deleted comment, seen here. The former Cardinals player added, “I bet his coaches didn’t even help him break down the pre-snap process before he even lined up.”
It’s valid criticism. If Wilson sincerely thought that the coaching staff didn’t prepare him, then he has a point and should stand by it.
But Wilson wasn’t ready for the heat his remarks would generate. He quickly removed his comments, but not before fans had seen them.
“You deleting comments now can’t stand on business?” wrote one user. “Damn, Marco hopped off this fast lol,” added another. “Can’t be rated top 20 worst CB in the league and be talking crazy,” said another.
And many brought up Wilson’s “cleat throwing” incident in 2020, when he was a Florida Gator and penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct during a game with the LSU Tigers.
Wilson’s remarks are not surprising. After the Cardinals released Marco in 2023, the New England Patriots picked him up, and he said it was “one of the best things to happen to me in my entire life.”
“I just knew what type of coaches I was going to, what type of organization I was going to, the history, that's exactly what I've been looking for my life in the NFL,” he added, per Sports Illustrated. “So I finally got it, I'm gonna make the most of it."
Did He Make The Most Of It?
The Arizona Cardinals chose Marco Wilson in the fourth round, 136th overall pick, of the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson began his season as the backup corner for Byron Murphy, and when Murphy left for the Minnesota Vikings, Wilson got promoted.
But Wilson “struggled” with head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’s plans. Or, as Pro Football Focus described it:
“The former Cardinals cornerback couldn’t find his footing in Jonathan Gannon’s scheme, resulting in the third-worst coverage grade (39.2) among outside cornerbacks. He was attacked relentlessly, surrendering massive yardage. Wilson allowed 2.07 yards per coverage snap, the most by any outside cornerback, in addition to giving up a hearty 11 yards per coverage target, a bottom-three figure at the position.
Wilson joined the Cardinals in the twilight years of coach Kliff Kingsbury. With Gannon taking over in 2023, Wilson didn’t work with the new plans and seemed generally happy to join the Patriots, a team he said was “made more for cornerbacks to make plays.”
In his first full season with the Patriots, Wilson…didn’t do that much better than his last season in Arizona. And his progress dwindled to the point where the Patriots released Wilson in November 2024, before the season was over.
The Cincinnati Bengals scooped up Wilson, and he re-signed with them in March 2025. He is now third on the depth chart, behind Josh Newton and DJ Turner II.
Again, if the coaches “didn’t help [Marco] break down the pre-snap process,” then the blame for his failures is not solely on his shoulders. However, it seems that a change of scenery (twice!) hasn’t resolved his performance issues.
So, y’know. Decide for yourself if Marco Wilson has the talent to back up his words about how “playing for the Cardinals” was a mistake.