Cardinals star Michael Wilson out for season with neck fracture

Clear Facts

• Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson suffered a neck fracture during the first quarter of Sunday’s 17-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and will miss the remainder of the season.
• Wilson continued playing after the injury, catching a 17-yard pass before being placed on injured reserve Tuesday following medical evaluation.
• The Cardinals have already lost their top wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in a trade, leaving the team with only four active receivers and quarterback Gardner Minshew possibly facing season-ending elbow surgery.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson is done for the year. The 26-year-old sustained a neck fracture early in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. He kept playing through the pain, a decision his coaches now recognize as typical of his toughness.

Head coach Mike LaFleur addressed the situation Monday. “He said (during the game) he kind of had a kink in his neck, but he’s such a warrior you didn’t think much of it,” LaFleur told reporters. “Then obviously when the adrenaline wore down and he got his test today, that’s when we knew.”

The Cardinals placed Wilson on injured reserve Tuesday. The team had signed him to a three-year, $75 million extension before the season after he emerged as their top receiver. In nine games this year, Wilson recorded 51 catches for 546 yards and two touchdowns.

Last season Wilson posted 78 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns. His absence, combined with the earlier trade of Marvin Harrison Jr., leaves Arizona dangerously thin at the position. Only Simi Fehoko, Devin Duvernay, Reggie Virgil, and Harrison Wallace remain on the active roster.

LaFleur said the injury creates chances for other players to step forward. The lack of wide receiver depth will likely push even more targets to tight end Trey McBride, who already leads the NFL with 73 receptions, 598 yards, and five touchdowns.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew may also require season-ending surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, according to ESPN. The Cardinals recently traded backup Jacoby Brissett to Baltimore, leaving rookie Carson Beck as the likely starter. Beck would step into a difficult situation with star running back Jeremiyah Love already on injured reserve and an unproven group of receivers.

The Cardinals, now 3-6, host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.

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