This season is lost for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson. This comes after he battled through injuries before being sidelined by a fractured vertebrae for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Any injury to the neck, but particularly a fractured vertebrae, is extremely serious. It’s the kind of injury that has ended careers in the past. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case for Wilson.
Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur on Michael Wilson’s Timeline
Any time a team is dealing with a neck injury, they want to be cautious. That’s certainly the case for the Cardinals.
It was with that in mind that Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur addressed the injury to Michael Wilson earlier in the week. Luckily, it does look like he’ll be able to return for the 2027 season, even if it’s still up in the air exactly when he’ll be back during next season.
“I just know the prognosis is really good in terms of for the future,” LaFleur said. “It’s not anything that will affect him moving forward. It’s a positive outlook in what could have been a negative.”
When it comes to neck injuries, it’s a relatively good outlook for Wilson. Still, everyone involved would be smart to be cautious with him for his health moving forward.
“Not the ending I had envisioned, but forever grateful for the journey,” Michael Wilson wrote on Instagram. “Regardless of what happens my love for this game will never change! Thank you for all the love and support. The story is still being written.”
Over the summer, Wilson signed a massive three-year, $75 million contract extension with the Cardinals. He finished his 2026 season with 51 receptions for 546 yards and 2 touchdowns in nine games.
The Cardinals Now Have Questions at Wide Receiver
Coming into the season, the Cardinals looked like one of the stronger teams in the entire NFL at wide receiver. Now, that’s a position where Arizona has major cause for concern.
The hope was for Michael Wilson to build on his 2025 season, when he had better than 1,000 receiving yards. Prior to his neck injury, it looked like he was doing just that, too. Alongside him was former No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison was banged up in 2025, but there was genuine belief that he could bounce back and reach his potential.
That didn’t happen, though, and after the situation became untenable, Harrison was traded to the Houston Texans. Wilson is injured and out for the season, joining Kendrick Bourne on IR and Jalen Brooks, who out for the season. So, depth is a cause for concern at wide receiver.
At wide receiver, the Cardinals are listing Reggie Virgil and Simi Fehoko as their starters at wide receiver. They’ve combined for 4 receptions for 71 yards this season. Harrison Wallace III and Devin Duvernay are also options for the Cardinals, combining for 4 receptions for 22 yards. That’s as Carson Beck is thrown into the starting quarterback role.
The Cardinals do still have Trey McBride at tight end. He remains their best option in the passing game, but as other weapons go down, it becomes easier and easier for defenses to target him.
Cardinals Injury Update: Mike LaFleur on Michael Wilson Potential Return Date