Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a neck injury, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday.
That's brutal news for both Wilson and the Cardinals given his importance to this offense in that WR1 role. He even connected with Gardner Minshew II in that Week 8 comeback against the Dallas Cowboys, suggesting Wilson could be on track for yet another second-half breakout. Unfortunately, that won't come to fruition this season.
The Cardinals locked up Wilson on a three-year, $75 million deal, so at least they'll have a chance to run it back next season. In the meantime, the silver lining is that the injury news came one day before the trade deadline.
What Michael Wilson's injury should mean for Cardinals' trade deadline plans
First, that gives the Cardinals a window to find a potential replacement not only for Wilson but also for Jalen Brooks and Kendrick Bourne, all of whom have now suffered season-ending injuries. They have to rely on Simi Fehoko and Reggie Virgil in increased roles now, which isn't ideal when trying to establish an offensive infrastructure under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur.
Most importantly, Wilson's injury coincides with the Cardinals' Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Arizona is now 3-6 and further behind in the NFC West, which should factor into them being potential sellers at the deadline.
This Wilson injury should be further confirmation that that's the right direction to take.
Arizona is still without running back Jeremiyah Love as he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain. They've already traded away Jacoby Brissett and Marvin Harrison Jr., the other key pieces of this offense heading into the season. Now the focus should largely shift to the defensive side of the ball, with trade candidates such as Josh Sweat, Budda Baker, Zaven Collins, and Garrett Williams.
With upcoming games against the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona could easily be 3-8. They'll regret not trading players when they had the chance, especially ones like Collins on expiring deals or Sweat, who reportedly will want a new deal.
GM Monti Ossenfort should take a slight buyer's stance when it comes to addressing the depleted wide receiver room, with trades on the margins to keep the offense afloat. Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs requested a trade and could make sense as a fit for Arizona's young core at 25, while also filling the short-term void from these injuries. That could matter even more toward the end of the season if LaFleur turns to rookie Carson Beck at quarterback, as it would give him a fairer evaluation.
But ultimately, Arizona seems to know this team must keep playing the long game, with many of the movable assets now coming on the defensive end after the Harrison and Brissett trades. Ossenfort should have more urgency to finalize these trades now that Wilson is out for the season, crushing what little remained of the Cardinals' playoff hopes already at midseason.
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