Not too long after the Michael Wilson extension news broke, Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur spoke to the media. Wilson and the Cardinals agreed to a three-year extension that maxes out at $78 million.
“It’s awesome,” said LaFleur. “It’s great for the Cardinals, it’s great for his teammates, this locker room, good for our fan base, anyone that really knows Michael. You just can’t help but root for the guy.”
Both Wilson and the Cardinals seemed to be apart on extension talks. However, the two sides made significant movement at the end. Now, Wilson is under contract through the 2029 season.
“I’d be remiss not to point out Monti (Ossenfort) and their team, too. I don’t know who the agent is, but they’ve been working for quite some time at this. So to get it done today is awesome, but more importantly, I’m happy for him.”
The Cardinals head coach met Wilson’s family, who were at the facility as part of the signing. The 26-year-old will enter his fourth NFL season knowing that he’s taken care of financially and gets to stay with his original team.
Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur on Michael Wilson Extension
With Michael Wilson’s contract situation taken care of, that means the fourth-year receiver can just focus on football. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur believes there is more to come from Wilson in the future.
“This is a special player who I don’t even think has come close to reaching how good he can be,” said LaFleur. “The way he works, the way he goes about it. There’s things we’re working on behind the scenes that I know he’s talked about too, like I want to be a better YAC guy.
“He’s good, but he wanted to be better. That’s just his mindset; he has a growth mindset every single day. He’s about process; he’s about all the right things you want in a football player, on top of being an incredible human being.”
LaFleur talked about how he popped when facing Wilson as an opponent. In his two games against the Los Angeles Rams last season, he caught 16 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns.
“I had respect for him coming out of college. The guys that I respect, in terms of the coaching world, loved him coming out. To see where he’s gone and know there’s even more out there is pretty neat.
Now, LaFleur is tasked with turning Wilson into a premier receiving threat. He’ll have the most influence on that, since he’ll be the offensive playcaller on game days.
Mike LaFleur on Michael Wilson Contract Negotiations
They often say deadlines create action. Perhaps the looming deadline of not revisiting talks spurred action for the two sides to agree to a deal.
While head coach Mike LaFleur isn’t necessarily privy to what happened in negotiations, he still answered questions about how it crossed the finish line.
“Monti and the Cardinals wanted to lock up a good football player for as long as we could. And at the same time, the player wants the insurance and security that he’s got a long-term deal,” said LaFleur. “Both sides wanted to get this done and got it done.”
Getting a respected, homegrown player like Michael Wilson taken care of can create goodwill toward the locker room.
“From my perspective, I think that shows them that we’re trying to keep really good players that are really good for the locker room that are going to help us, in this case, on offense, move the ball forward and cross the end zone.
“I think naturally, in any locker room, when you sign someone like that, guys are going to be happy for one, the Arizona Cardinals, and two, for the human.”
LaFleur says that’s a big deal for a player like Wilson, who was drafted and developed by the team, to sign a deal like that.
Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur Gives Heartfelt Michael Wilson Statement Amid Extension News