Cardinals take critical step forward with Michael Wilson extension

The Cardinals aren’t expected to win many football games in 2026. But they scored a key victory on Thursday.

They signed Michael Wilson to a contract extension, rewarding and showing faith in a homegrown player. They were proactive and not reactive, and the message will reverberate throughout the locker room. This is a critical step forward for the organization.

Today, we offer praise for general manager Monti Ossenfort.

For over a century, the Cardinals have been known mostly for frugality and losing football games. Before extending Trey McBride, the team needlessly and dangerously lowballed one of the best tight ends in football. In 2009, they made Kurt Warner explore his options in free agency AFTER taking the Cardinals to their very first Super Bowl.

There are notable exceptions, like the enormous contract they begrudgingly handed to Kyler Murray. But over the course of history, they have often avoided extending blossoming talent before their contracts expire. Most recently, they let Zach Allen and Byron Murphy Jr. walk away in 2023, leaving gaping holes in the pass rush and the secondary. By waiting until free agency, they have watched players build up market value beyond the team’s comfort level, and the results have contributed to the constant state of rebuilding in Arizona, where the team is forced to fill premium positions with cheap stopgaps or unripe draft prospects.

Clearly, there is inherent risk in spending too much money at one position or one side of the football. The Cardinals are already paying an enormous sum for their rookie running back, Jeremiyah Love. If Marvin Harrison Jr. is a breakout player in 2026, his price tag will also be exorbitant.

But in the NFL, you don’t deal in future hypotheticals. You deal with reality. If a fallen franchise is to become relevant once again, the Cardinals must act like a serious football team. And chances are better that Wilson continues his ascent as a star receiver than Harrison Jr. suddenly soars in a new offense. If we’re lucky, both will happen in 2026.

But serious NFL franchises take care of their business and their players. Wilson is now locked up for three years and $75 million, with $47 million guaranteed. And if Marv becomes a star in the coming months, then find a way to get it done. Remember, the Cardinals will likely be starting a rookie or second-year quarterback in 2027, saving a fortune at the game’s most expensive position.

There is also growing excitement over the Cardinals’ offense, and the gravitational pull is drawing back many Valley fans who had sworn off the product, all the losing and all the stale Sundays. The faithful followers who were tired of getting mocked in their own stadium by opposing fans. For them, the Wilson contract will be a powerful selling point.

Great offenses are never boring. The Cardinals have a growing core of skill players who might light up the scoreboard. Everyone in the NFC West is anointing the Rams and viewing their defense as an immovable object. But what if Arizona’s offense becomes the unstoppable force?

That’s exciting. And locking up Wilson makes it seem like the Cardinals are going all in. For a much needed and most welcome change.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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