Michael Wilson expected to sign a 3-year extension

Wilson is now up to a staggering 30 targets over the past two weeks after that number was “just” 14 across Weeks 1 and 2. He is managing to drew more looks than one of the biggest target sponges in the league Trey McBride, though the seam man still has 23 targets the past two weeks. Wilson and McBride have turned this offense into a two-man affair, with No. 3 Marvin Harrison Jr. now a distant role player. That’s all good and well in fantasy for the time being, but Jacoby Brissett has quietly been amongst the most ineffective QBs in the league. The rebuilding Birds may decide to get a look at Carson Beck sooner rather than later. Either way, that won’t be before next week’s potential shootout with the Lions. Wilson is now a weekly WR3 pushing for top-24 status.

Wilson saw season-highs across the board as the Cardinals played catch-up against the 49ers for much of the day. He operated as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, seeing over three times the opportunities as Marvin Harrison Jr. Catching much of the outside passes and intermediate crossers for the day, Wilson scored on a five-yard Jacoby Brissett pass in the third quarter. It’s clear he is Brissett’s top target in the offense, especially when the team is playing from behind. Wilson ranks as a high-end fantasy WR3 heading into Week 4 against the Giants.

Wilson had a brutal day. The Seahawks prevented two receptions by committing defensive pass interference, and QB Jacoby Brissett prevented at least two more with a pair of overthrows. One led to an interception. The other led to a dropped interception. Wilson remains WR3/FLEX-viable against the 49ers in Week 3, coming off consecutive seven-target games. He is stuck in a tough situation, but the opportunities to score fantasy points should be there next week. Not every defense is as well-designed and talented as Seattle’s.

Wilson nearly came down with a couple deep shots from Jacoby Brissett. He was clearly favored — as he was last season — over Marvin Harrison, Jr., who ended the game with just one grab for 33 yards. Wilson, who signed a huge contract extension with the Cards before the season opener, has a good shot of operating as Arizona’s No. 1 wideout this season. Brissett’s willingness to go downfield even against tight coverage will give Wilson weekly chances to emerge as a matchup-tilting wideout in fantasy football. Wilson will be a WR3 play in Week 2 against a tough Seattle secondary.

Weinfuss adds that “something could come down in the next day or so.” Wilson has been in line for an extension this offseason and despite an effort, the Cardinals have yet to reach an agreement. It seems the sides are at least making progress, with Weinfuss hearing about “movement” in negotiations. Wilson was the team’s No. 1 wide receiver and downfield target for Jacoby Brissett after Kyler Murray went to the bench last season. An extension for the 26-year-old may be coming prior to Week 1.

Wilson emerged as the team’s clear No. 1 receiver in 2025 once Kyler Murray was benched in favor of Jacoby Brissett, who has the arm strength to get the ball downfield to Wilson. Wilson was 18th among all wideouts in receiving yards and tenth in air yards last year. Fowler said “the likeliest path for Wilson is to enter Week 1 on the final year of his rookie deal. Perhaps the team finds a way to get a deal done, but sources indicate he’s likely to be a key free agent.” Wilson, 26, could make Alec Pierce money in 2027 if the Cardinals don’t re-sign him in the coming months.

The good news for Wilson is that it sounds like the Cardinals are hoping to sign him to an extension. The bad news is that when asked if he expects an extension to get done, Ossenfort responded, “Expect? That’s a tough word.” Wilson broke out for 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns last season with the Cardinals, with much of his production coming after Jacoby Brissett took over. The fourth-year receiver has received glowing reports throughout camp and could emerge as the team’s WR1 this season. It seems unlikely the Cardinals will extend Wilson as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.

By all accounts, Wilson has been a beast on the field for the Cardinals through the early portions of camp, with multiple beat reporters hinting at the potential for him to end the 2026 season as the team’s leading wide receiver. The injury was not disclosed but Wilson was seen on the sideline in sweats cheering on his fellow receivers through position drills. It doesn’t appear to be something that could jeopardize his status as one of the team’s top pass catchers as the regular season inches closer, but fantasy managers will want to track his status in the coming days.

Weinfuss writes, “in theory, Harrison is Arizona’s WR1 based on draft status and pedigree,” but “Wilson may think otherwise.” Due to TE Trey McBride’s presence, it is “widely important” to establish which player is viewed as the top wide receiver because the “WR2 could, potentially, be the third receiving option, and the third receiving option doesn’t tend to get their fair share of passes.” Wilson has not yet received the contract extension he was hoping for this offseason, which counts against him in the pecking order. Still, it is worth noting that ESPN’s Cardinals beat reporter believes a competition could be underway soon enough.

Wilson told Weinfuss that he hopes to stay in Arizona long-term and that he knows last year’s 1,000-yard season will help him “a lot” in negotiations. It’s worth noting that this is only one side of the story and Wilson has no need to rock the boat in what would be a contract season, but it sounds like from Wilson’s point of view the Cardinals are engaged in active extension talks with him.