Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson got his long-awaited contract extension this week, keeping him under contract through the 2029 season. It is what he wanted.
“I want to be a centerpiece of trying to flip something,” Wilson said, via Darren Urban of the team website. “That’s way more gratifying and rewarding going through the dark days and tough times when you’ve lost bad games, when there is more Niner fans than Arizona fans [in the stands]. How cool would it be . . . when we are in the race of the playoffs or a playoff team or in the playoffs and being a centerpiece of turning the tides? That sense of loyalty, that just screams the type of player and person I want to be.
“I’ve got so much love for Arizona. Not even tied to the franchise, I could see myself living here the rest of my life.”
While letting his agent handle contract talks, Wilson wasn’t sure the deal would get done before the start of the season. A report Wednesday morning indicated a deal was unlikely, with Wilson set to enter free agency in March.
Wilson saw the report.
“Conversations happened, tides turned and things got done,” Wilson said. “I couldn’t even sleep [with excitement after the deal got done Wednesday night].”
Wilson caught 85 passes for 1,113 yards and seven touchdowns over his first two seasons. The Cardinals wide receiver had 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
The team sees him as part of the foundation for the rebuild.
“His approach every single day, it’s just so consistent,” coach Mike LaFleur said. “It’s the meeting rooms, his attention to detail, just how he goes about his business. He’s the perfect example of, ‘Don’t mistake his kindness for weakness.’ This dude is a tough dude, and I’ve gotten to see a little bit more. I knew it, and I’ve seen it, but then you get to see it even a little bit more during competition.”
Cardinals Clips
The Cardinals have crossed the proverbial goal line and are locking up one of their key young offensive players.
According to a joint report from ESPN and NFL Network, receiver Michael Wilson has agreed to a three-year extension with the club.
Wilson, a third-round pick in 2023, was entering the last year of his rookie contract.
The deal is worth $75 million with a maximum value of $78 million with $47 million guaranteed.
Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reported on Wednesday night that there had been “movement” in negotiations and that a deal could happen before the end of the week.
Wilson, 26, set career highs last season with 78 receptions, 1,006 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns.
In his 46 career games with 38 starts, Wilson has caught 163 passes for 2,119 yards with 14 TDs.
The Cardinals will open the 2026 season on the road against the Chargers on Sept. 13.
The Cardinals and the representation for wide receiver Michael Wilson have negotiated a contract extension for awhile. Just when it appeared Wilson would enter the season in the final year of his rookie deal, comes word that the sides have made progress.
Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reports that there has been “movement” in negotiations and “something could come down in the next day or so.”
Wilson caught 85 passes for 1,113 yards and seven touchdowns over his first two seasons. The Cardinals wide receiver had 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Wilson’s 593 routes for the season were the third-most in the NFL.
He spoke about his contract earlier this offseason, saying “ultimately that stuff is going to take care of itself.”
The offseason consisted of a rumor that the Cardinals would be trading linebacker Josh Sweat to the Packers. On Tuesday, the man in charge of the Green Bay roster denied that it was ever a possibility.
“No one from our organization has had a conversation about Josh Sweat from anyone at Arizona,” Gutekunst said, via Ryan Wood of USA Today. “That’s coming out of thin air, someone is making stuff up, because that never happened.”
A report emerged in the offseason that the Cardinals were receiving calls about Sweat. And the Packers made sense on the surface; Sweat reunited with former Eagles offensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon after Gannon became the head coach of the Cardinals. With Gannon now the defensive coordinator in Green Bay, it’s a logical connection of the dots.
And to the extent the Packers had any interest in Sweat, it wouldn’t have taken much to kick-start a conversation. The Brothers LaFleur coach the two teams. It would have been easy for Matt to gauge with Mike whether a deal would have been possible.
Sweat is entering the second season of a four-year, $76 million deal with the Cardinals. In 17 starts last season, Sweat had 12.0 sacks.
The Packers signed quarterback Kedon Slovis to the practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.
He joins Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor in the team’s quarterbacks room.
The Cardinals cut Slovis on Sunday.
Slovis, 25, signed with the Cardinals’ practice squad in 2025, and he earned a spot on the active roster on Oct. 11. He played two games, getting five snaps and completing 1 of 2 passes for minus-1 yard.
The Cardinals chose to keep Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II and Carson Beck at the position for this season.
Slovis has also spent time with the Colts and the Texans.
At this point, it’s unclear whether or not Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love will be available for Arizona’s season opener.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Love is “about 50/50” to play Week 1 with an ankle sprain.
Love suffered the injury in Las Vegas’ preseason opener on Aug. 13. He tallied 14 touches in that contest, with 11 rushing attempts for 58 yards and three receptions for 14 yards. Head coach Mike LaFleur said the plan was for Love, the No. 4 overall pick of the year’s draft, to get double-digit touches in that preseason game.
Via Darren Urban of the team’s website, LaFleur said on Monday that Love is “progressing” but did not touch on the running back’s availability for Week 1.
The team’s first injury report for its matchup against the Chargers will be released on Sept. 9.
The Cardinals are getting one of their young offensive players back on the field this week.
Via Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic, head coach Mike LaFleur said in his Monday press conference that rookie quarterback Carson Beck will return to practice this week.
Beck will be a full participant in the sessions.
Beck has been sidelined with a rib injury suffered in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6. While he did practice for a week after the injury, the Cardinals then shut him down to give Beck time to heal.
A third-round pick in this year’s draft, Beck completed 15-of-19 passes for 188 yards with a touchdown in his preseason debut.
While the Cardinals will start Jacoby Brissett to begin the season, it’s possible Beck will be in line to start some games down the road in 2026, depending on how Arizona’s season progresses.
The Cardinals reached 53 players on Sunday afternoon.
Their moves included placing running back James Conner on injured reserve with a designation to return. He will miss at least the first four games before returning to game action as he works his way back from last season’s ankle injury.
The Cardinals also announced the release of 2023 second-round pick linebacker BJ Ojulari, who has not been the same since a serious training camp knee injury in 2024. Eku Leota made the team over Ojulari.
Veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting was also released, a sign that slot starter Garrett Williams is nearing his return. Williams was recently removed from the active/PUP list after coming back from an Achilles injury.
The Cardinals kept three quarterbacks for the first time in a long time, with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II and Carson Beck making the roster.
The Cardinals released or waived LB Eugene Asante, S Devyn Bobby, TE Shawn Bowman, LB Elliott Brown, P Jack Browning, S Hudson Clark, CB Elijah Culp, OL Ka’ena De Cambra, TE Rivaldo Fairweather, DL Cam Horsley, RB Evan Hull,
OL Demontrey Jacobs, OL Christian Jones, CB Elijah Jones, CB Kalen King, DL Brodric Martin-Rhodes, CB Quinton Newsome, S Isaiah Oliver, LB Owen Pappoe, OL Matt Pryor, TE Teagan Quitoriano, LB Cam Robertson, OL Valentin Senn (expected international exemption), QB Kedon Slovis, WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette, DL Kevion’ta Spears, RB Tre Stewart,
CB Starling Thomas V, OL Oli Udoh, WR Tre Wallace, DL Damonic Williams and DL Jonah Williams.
Like Conner, defensive lineman Zach Carter (knee) was placed on IR with a designation to return.
Tight end Tip Reiman will begin the season on reserve/PUP.
Safety Josh Minkins was waived with an injury designation.
The Cardinals are waiving quarterback Kedon Slovis, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports.
Slovis, 25, signed with the Cardinals’ practice squad in August before the team signed him to the active roster on Oct. 11. He played two games, getting five snaps and completing 1 of 2 passes for minus-1 yard.
His departure is not a surprise, leaving Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II and Carson Beck at the position.
Slovis has also spent time with the Colts and the Texans.
The Jaguars and Cardinals have agreed to a trade.
NFL Media reports that the Jaguars will send tight end Hunter Long to Arizona. There’s no word on the compensation heading back to the Jags in the deal.
Long joined the Jaguars last year and had 12 catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. He was a Dolphins third-round pick in 2021 and was sent to the Rams as part of the Jalen Ramsey trade ahead of the 2023 season.
The Cardinals have Trey McBride as their top tight end, but Tip Reiman is on the physically unable to perform list and would miss at least four games if he remains on it through the cut to 53 players.
UPDATE 11:08 a.m. ET: Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports the Cardinals will send the Jaguars a 2028 sixth-round pick and receive a 2028 seventh-rounder along with Long.
