Cardinals WR Michael Wilson’s promising season cut short by neck injury

The Arizona Cardinals received devastating news on Monday following their Week 9 17-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, as wide receiver Michael Wilson, a key player of their franchise and offensive identity, is going to miss the remainder of the season due to a neck injury. 

Michael Wilson played nearly an entire game with a fractured neck

According to Dani Sureck, Arizona Cardinals reporter and host for the Arizona Cardinals official website, "Head coach Mike LaFleur says on the fourth play of the game WR Michael Wilson suffered a fracture in his neck and played through it. Wilson will be done for the year." 

The severity of Wilson's injury wasn't immediately apparent. In fact, as The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar noted, Wilson remained in the game after suffering the neck fracture on the catch. The fact that he continued playing despite a significant injury speaks to the physical and mental toughness routinely displayed across the NFL. 

"He said he kind of had a kink in his neck, but he's such a warrior," LaFleur said, via Zach Gershman of azcardinals.com. "He didn't think much of it."

Michael Wilson's value extends beyond the numbers

Wilson remained a focal point of Arizona's passing attack against Seattle, turning seven targets into six receptions for a team-high 60 yards, including a 23-yard gain. The consistent usage was nothing new, as he has yet to see fewer than seven targets in a game this season. According to Athlon Sports, he also played 44 of the Cardinals' 53 offensive snaps, tying Trey McBride for the team lead among pass catchers.

The timing of Wilson's injury is particularly significant given the Cardinals' recent investment in him. 

After signing a three-year, $75 million extension in September, the 2023 third-round pick was tracking toward another breakout year, totaling 546 receiving yards and 51 catches, ranking 10th in the NFL in receptions before the injury halted what appeared to be a second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign (1,007 in 2025).

Wilson had already established a reputation for playing through pain. One of the clearest examples came Nov. 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, when he fought through two broken ribs to catch a 13-yard game-tying touchdown from Gardner Minshew with seconds remaining, helping propel the Cardinals to extend the game to overtime and win 33-30. 

Sureck clarified that the Cardinals did not discover the fracture until additional testing on Monday, after the adrenaline from game day had subsided. LaFleur added that Wilson informed trainers during the game that his neck felt like it had a kink in it, but neither he nor the medical staff initially suspected a more serious injury.