Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson will miss the rest of the season after doctors discovered a fracture in his neck, the team announced this week.
Wilson, 26, was hurt on the fourth play of Arizona’s 17-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. He caught a 17-yard pass and landed on his head after being tackled by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, but stayed in the game.
Head coach Mike LaFleur said Wilson initially brushed off the injury.
“He said (during the game) he kind of had a kink in his neck, but he’s such a warrior you didn’t think much of it,” LaFleur told reporters Monday. “Then obviously when the adrenaline wore down and he got his test today, that’s when we knew.”
The Cardinals officially placed Wilson on injured reserve Tuesday.
Wilson had signed a three-year, $75 million extension before Week 1 after establishing himself as Arizona’s top wide receiver. He had 51 catches for 546 yards and two touchdowns through nine games this season, following a 2024 campaign in which he posted 78 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns.
His absence leaves the Cardinals short-handed at wide receiver, a problem made worse after the team traded Marvin Harrison Jr. in October. The remaining receivers on the active roster are Simi Fehoko, Devin Duvernay, Reggie Virgil and Harrison Wallace. LaFleur said the situation opens the door for those players to prove what they can do.
Tight end Trey McBride, who leads the NFL with 73 receptions this season along with 598 yards and five touchdowns, is expected to see even more targets as a result.
Wilson’s injury adds to a growing list of setbacks for Arizona. Starting quarterback Gardner Minshew may require season-ending surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, according to ESPN. With Jacoby Brissett recently traded to the Baltimore Ravens, rookie Carson Beck would be in line to start if Minshew cannot play.
Beck would inherit a difficult situation: rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is also on injured reserve, and the receiving corps is largely unproven.
The Cardinals, now 3-6, host the Los Angeles Rams (5-4) on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.
