Michael Wilson didn’t hide from the losing. He leaned right into it.
After signing a three-year contract extension with the Cardinals on Thursday, the wide receiver was asked why the appeal of staying in Arizona outweighed the lack of wins so far. Wilson has spent his football career in two places that have not produced much success: Stanford, where he arrived as a freshman on a 9-3 team in 2018, and Arizona, where his first three seasons have added up to a 15-36 record.
That’s 21-54 over his last five seasons.
Wilson has been open with the Arizona media about how hard that stretch has been. So when the question came, he called it “a phenomenal question” and answered in the same thoughtful, direct way he usually does.
“For me, I think it comes back to, like I said, I love the organization. I love living in the state of Arizona. I love the people in Arizona.”
That was the straightforward part. Then Wilson got to the heart of why he wanted to stay.
“I think when you can be a centerpiece and flip something, that's way more gratifying and rewarding. Going through the dark days, the tough times, when you've lost bad games.
There are more Niner fans than Arizona fans. How cool would that be this season when the stadium is packed and we're in a race for the playoffs or we're a playoff team or we're in the playoffs?
“And being a centerpiece of changing, turning the tides; I think that sense of loyalty just screams the type of player and person that I want to be. I want to be a centerpiece to a franchise and be a guy that was a cornerstone piece that helped flip it.
What better place to do it than in Arizona? I've got so much, I keep saying it, but I got so much love for Arizona.
I genuinely do and not even tied to the franchise. I can see myself living here for the rest of my life.”
He finished with the kind of line that says plenty about his mindset.
“And so I want to bring good vibes, wins to the fan base, into the organization. I definitely feel a sense of debt and I'm going to work my hardest every single day to show why I deserve that deal.”
That much has never been in doubt.
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