Michael Wilson addresses ongoing extension talks between Cardinals

Wilson aims to keep extension talks “private” for the time being:

Arizona is due to have over $100 million in cap space next offseason, meaning it’ll have plenty of money to throw around in extension negotiations. From the Cardinals side, the only hesitations to throw a long-term deal at their star wide receiver is the fear that 2025 could’ve been a fluke. The team went 3-14 and found itself down early and often, allowing for soft coverages to get Wilson easy yards.

However, that argument loses steam when looking at some single game performances. Wilson in Week 11 had 185 receiving yards, the second-most by a wide receiver all season, and then he went for 142 and two touchdowns three weeks later. Those type of numbers can’t be fluked.

The conversation shifts to what is a realistic number for the 6’2 wideout? One doesn’t have to look far, as Indianapolis Colts’ Alec Pierce, who ended with just three less yard and one less touchdowns last season, got a four-year, $114 million contract extension with $84 million guaranteed. Pierce’s body of work up to that point was much more consistent than Wilson’s but there is another example closer to the Cardinals star.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had less than 500 yards in each of his first two seasons before exploding for nearly 1,300 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in Year 3. Collins later signed a three-year, $72.75 million deal with 52.11 million guaranteed. Pierce is getting $21 million in guarantee money annual, while Collins is getting $17 million.

The number to look for in guaranteed money annually will be between $17-$21 million, probably with a bunch of incentives to bloat the contract into a prettier number. While contract negotiations can get ugly, Wilson seems determined in the offseason and won’t give any updates or hints how it’s going. The dialogue between the two parties will surely take up to Week 1, which Wilson seems content with after Monday’s statement.