Wide receiver Michael Wilson has agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension to remain with the Arizona Cardinals, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported Thursday. That locks up the Cardinals wide receiver through the 2029 season in what was ultimately good value for the Cardinals given the market.
Perhaps more importantly than the value was the decision itself. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently named Wilson as one of 11 players to keep an eye on next offseason should they not reach an extension. Uncertainty surrounded whether Arizona would pay to retain what they hope to be their second-best wide receiver.
Cardinals make no-brainer decision to extend Michael Wilson
Regardless of where you think he belongs in the Cardinals' offensive hierarchy, Wilson's breakout season ultimately left them no choice but to lock down what has become a key part of this ascending pass-catching group.
He had that patented third-year breakout at receiver, totaling 78 receptions for 1,006 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. While that will likely regress with a healthy Marvin Harrison Jr. back in the picture, Wilson proved he belonged with this young core moving forward.
In the short term, he's already proven last season to have a strong connection with Jacoby Brissett, who essentially has to be the Cardinals' starting quarterback to begin the season, seeing as they reworked his deal.
Most importantly, Wilson provides the Cardinals with a building block in their offensive infrastructure. Maybe not the key piece, but he's going to become part of the new-look offense implemented under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur.
There have even been comparisons to Los Angeles Rams superstar Puka Nacua. Okay, maybe not in talent, but in terms of his place in LaFleur's offense, which has heavy influence from working under Sean McVay.
With this three-year extension, the hope is to provide not only LaFleur with a long-term weapon in this offense, but also their rising star at quarterback.
Arizona had the No. 3 overall pick this year and should be right in that range yet again, only this class has more intriguing quarterback prospects headlining the top. Between LaFleur's offensive ingenuity and the pass-catching weapons like Wilson -- who finds himself the underrated one lost in a big-name group along the likes of 99 Madden member Trey McBride and top-five draft picks like Harrison and recently Jeremiyah Love -- there's plenty to like about what's brewing offensively in Arizona.
Next is upgrading that offensive line and finding that quarterback, both of which are easier said than done given their positional value. But this extension, especially at the price, was quietly a huge step in keeping that offensive foundation in place.
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