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Cardinals' Michael Wilson Out for Season With Neck Injury
· Confirmed
In Short: Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his neck.
Michael Wilson Session 017 copy.
BREAKING: Carson Beck Cardinals NEW STARTING QB Following Injury To Minshew; Michael Wilson DONE. PHNX Sports
Wilson had been a standout performer this season, leading all wide receivers with 51 receptions on 88 targets for 546 yards and two touchdowns through nine games.
Despite the injury, Wilson played through the pain, finishing with six receptions for 60 yards in the Cardinals' 17-3 loss to the Seahawks.
Wilson, a 2023 third-round pick, has 47 total starts over 55 games with the Cardinals, amassing 2,665 yards on 214 receptions and 16 touchdowns.
The injury is a significant blow to the Cardinals, who are already dealing with quarterback Gardner Minshew's potential season-ending surgery on his right ulnar collateral ligament.
Wilson signed a three-year, $75 million extension in September, with $47 million guaranteed, and is now under contract through the 2029 season.
LaFleur noted that Wilson's toughness mirrored that of other players who have played through injuries, including cornerback Will Johnson and linebacker Jalen Brooks.
The wide receiver room has been hit hard by injuries, with Wilson's departure leaving Simi Fehoko, Devin Duvernay, and rookies Reggie Virgil and Harrison Wallace III to fill the void.
Fehoko, a six-year veteran, has only 11 receptions across his entire career, while Duvernay, Virgil, and Wallace have combined for just 71 yards on the season.
LaFleur emphasized the opportunity for these players to step up and show what they can do, as the Cardinals navigate the remainder of the season without their top wide receiver.
Fantasy football analysts have noted that Wilson's injury could have major implications as leagues approach the playoffs.
What this adds
Wilson's injury is a significant setback for the Cardinals, who were already facing a tough season.
What's confirmed
- Wideout Michael Wilson will be out for the year with a fracture in his neck, head coach Mike LaFleur announced on Monday.
- Quarterback Gardner Minshew II probably needs season-ending surgery on his right ulnar collateral ligament, sources told ESPN, and wide receiver Michael Wilson will sit out the rest of the season because of a neck injury, coach Mike LaFleur said.
- Gardner Minshew is seeking additional medical opinions to confirm that he likely will need season-ending surgery on a torn UCL, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Josh Weinfuss reported on Monday With Minshew going down, the Cardinals are also signing quarterback Josh Johnson off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, according to Schefter.
- First-year coach Mike LaFleur made the surprise announcement Monday, saying the injury happened on the fourth play of the game and that Wilson played through it.
- LaFleur said the injury occured on Arizona’s fourth play on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, but Wilson played through it.
What's still developing
- Wilson is coming off a career-best 2025 with his first 1,000-yard showing.
- The 26-year-old — a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2023 — had his first 1,000-yard season last year.
- Watch: Mike LaFleur admits he undervalued Michael Wilson when scouting him in college | 43 seconds Log in/Sign up for a free account to customize your news feed, save articles, and get alerts on the topics you care about.
- The latest player to suffer a catastrophic injury is receiver Michael Wilson.
- The two sides did agree on a long-term deal just before the start of the season, so the player does have some security here.
- A week after playing through broken ribs in a comeback win, Wilson apparently fractured his neck on the fourth play of the game and played the rest of the way with the injury, per Josh Weinfuss.
- While Harrison’s future in Arizona became increasingly tenuous, though, Wilson is on the books through 2029.
- By Adam La Rose | at November 9, 2026 3:37 pm Michael Wilson ’s fourth NFL season has come to an abrupt end.
- The fracture occurred on the fourth offensive play of the game, a 17-yard reception by Wilson.
- "I'm not a doctor obviously, but similar (with cornerback Will Johnson's neck injury) in terms of the last few plays and playing through it. Jalen Brooks has a shattered arm and doesn't say anything and plays through it. You got three examples of dudes that are warriors."
- GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals received some more injury bad luck, as wide receiver Michael Wilson has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a neck injury, according to ESPN insider Ian Rapoport.
- Wilson had also continued to establish himself as a consistent contributor over his first four seasons, totaling 214 receptions for 2,665 yards and 16 touchdowns.