‘I might not be here next year’: Cardinals’ Michael Wilson questioned his future before 2025 breakout

Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Wilson entered his third year in the NFL last season and few outside of Arizona knew his name.

In fact, nine weeks into the 2025 season, not many knew his name. Wilson had 1,113 yards through his first two years in the league with seven touchdowns as Arizona’s second or third receiving option.

Through five games in 2025, the third-year receiver out of Stanford had just eight catches for 55 yards and he was questioning his future.

“At that point, I was going home talking to my wife (USWNT forward Sophia Wilson) like I might not be here next year,” Wilson told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo Thursday. “I was worried. I can admit that now, but I was definitely worried just cause the production. I was playing in 70% of the snaps and just not getting the ball.”

Then Cardinals receiver Zay Jones tore his Achilles and Marvin Harrison Jr. had appendicitis, and it forced the Cardinals to lean on Wilson.

“I was kind of thrust in that role where I knew the ball was going to find me a lot, and I hadn’t been in that situation since the last couple games in my rookie year,” Wilson said. “I treated that week like my life depended on it. My family depended on it.”

Wilson rattled off one of the most impressive stretches you’ll ever see by a receiver Weeks 11-14. He recorded 15 catches for 185 yards followed by 10 catches for 118 yards. Week 13 came down to three catches for 36 yards before he reeled in another 11 receptions for 142 yards in Week 14.

The Cardinals receiver had 231 receiving yards through Week 10 and finished the season with 1,006, collecting 775 during the final eight weeks of the season.

Before you knew it, Wilson was being talked about nationally on a team with only three wins.

Wilson noted that without Harrison and Jones’ unfortunate injuries, he probably would not have had the season he did. However, he also believes if you play the game well long enough, you will get your opportunity.

“That’s just the reality of the situation. However, if you do play the game long enough and treat the game the right way, I think I’m a firm believer in life is going to give you opportunities to show what you can do.”

Then Wilson quoted Winston Churchill: “To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”

“In my profession, that quote directly relates to that game against the 49ers because I couldn’t have a game where I just had seven catches for seventy yards,” Wilson said. “That’s a good game, but it’s not enough to grab the attention of you guys and the national media and say, ‘This dude Mike can play.’

“That is going to be the catalyst game in my career if my career continues to ascend that I’ll forever be able to look back on and say, ‘That was the moment that my career kind of — things started to fall for me.”

The game against the 49ers was Wilson’s 15-catch, 185-yard game. Now, the fourth-year receiver will look to continue to ascend in 2026 under new head coach Mike LaFleur.

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