Michael Wilson is already picking up what Mike LaFleur is throwing down

TEMPE — They say enjoying what you do means never working a day in your life.

That was likely already the case for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson.

But with first-year head coach Mike LaFleur bringing his offensive influence to the team, Wilson might not even have to set an alarm again at this rate.

“He’s a phenomenal coach, great offensive mind. One thing I like about him is I’m excited every day to come to work because he makes learning exciting. He makes the experience fun,” Wilson said. “He’s obviously a details guy, but he’s not an over-details guy, which is great because he understands football is sort of like controlled chaos and a lot of an uncontrolled environment.

“He gives us enough rules, but then allows sort of our playmaking ability and natural athleticism to kind of take over. I just could go on for 2-3 minutes just raving about him, but it’s been phenomenal.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Arizona Sports (@arizsports)

While tight end Trey McBride is onto his third coaching staff in five seasons, this marks the first big coaching change for Wilson since coming aboard in 2023.

All he’s known at the NFL level has been the Drew Petzing-led offense. And in what would be his final year in the system, Wilson had his best season yet with 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 catches. Much of that production came with quarterback Jacoby Brissett under center.

Some may see starting over from a coaching standpoint as unlucky, especially coming off a career year.

Although Wilson isn’t completely over what he accomplished in 2025, he’s looking ahead at the possibilities under LaFleur.

LaFleur has worked extensively with wide receivers at the pro ranks. Veteran newcomer Kendrick Bourne spoke highly of LaFleur’s influence on him back in San Francisco, when LaFleur was the 49ers’ wide receivers coach.

He may not have primarily called plays in Los Angeles, but LaFleur most recently helped a trio of pass catchers produce at least eight touchdowns each in 2025. That included wide receiver Puka Nacua’s 1,715-yard, 10-touchdown effort and wideout Davante Adams’ 14 scores.

Even with multiple mouths to feed — similar to what LaFleur is walking into in Arizona with Wilson, McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. — the ball still found its way to its key playmakers.

Having a clean operation and keeping the defense guessing helped with that.

“I like the motions that we utilize and how that affects the run and pass game,” Wilson said when asked about the early impressions of LaFleur’s scheme. “I like our pre-snap operation. That’s Mike’s calling card when it comes to our offense. We want to be making sure we can control the controllables and be 100% as good as we can be in our pre-snap operation.”

It remains to be seen if Wilson can reach the Nacua conversation, but the Cardinals wideout did prove he can carry the WR1 title at the NFL level. Adding more to his tool belt through LaFleur could help make last year’s success a starting point and not a one-off.

And for as much potential as Wilson sees in LaFleur on the field, the wide receiver is also getting a good glimpse of what the head coach is bringing off it.

“The coach-player relationship is great with him,” Wilson said. “Honestly, he’s one of the few NFL coaches I’ve been around where every time we have a conversation, he always asks about my daughter, my wife, how I’m doing as just a person, not just a football player. He makes you feel like you’re special as a human and not just an X and O.”

Related

Cardinals' Michael Wilson not letting potential extension dictate his offseasonReport: Cardinals, Jacoby Brissett 'significantly apart' in contract talksThere's a different feeling surrounding Cardinals' Will Johnson in Year 2Jeremiyah Love returning kicks? Cardinals' Mike LaFleur leaving door openCardinals LB Jack Gibbens on team turnarounds: 'There's no reason we can't do that here'Ex-Cardinals GM Steve Keim obtains legal counsel over fraud scheme