TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals are on the front end of a six-week break before reporting to training camp on July 22, but three players — wide receiver Michael Wilson, quarterback Jacoby Brissett and left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. — still have unresolved contract matters, according to ESPN.
Wilson, a 2023 third-round pick, is entering his first contract year after a 1,000-yard season and has begun extension talks with the Cardinals, ESPN reported. Wilson told ESPN those negotiations are “going great” and said his 1,006 yards last season will help his case in talks.
The market for receivers from Wilson’s draft class and beyond provides context for Arizona’s negotiations, ESPN noted. Three receivers from the 2023 class have already been extended: Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba (four years, $168.6 million, $69.14 million guaranteed, $35 million signing bonus, $42.15 million per year), Green Bay’s Jayden Reed (three years, $50.25 million, $20 million guaranteed, $16.5 million signing bonus, $16.75 million per year) and Dontayvion Wicks (one year, $12.5 million, $9 million guaranteed). Three other wideouts extended this offseason — Michael Pittman Jr., Drake London and Christian Watson — signed deals of $35 million over two years, $141 million over four years and $92 million over four years, respectively, ESPN reported. Of those six, only Smith-Njigba, Pittman and London have recorded 1,000-yard seasons.
Brissett has been in negotiations with Arizona for a reworked contract for the coming season for months, a source told ESPN. He left the Cardinals’ mandatory minicamp without a revised deal for 2026, leaving his status with the team in flux, ESPN reported.
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is eligible for an extension after his third season, but the Cardinals exercised his fifth-year option in April instead of agreeing to a long-term contract, according to ESPN.
Wilson has expressed a desire to remain in Arizona long term, telling ESPN he loves the state, that his daughter was born there and that he aspires to be a player who spends his career with one organization. Negotiations for all three players will be among the roster and salary decisions the Cardinals must resolve ahead of training camp, ESPN reported.
