The Arizona Cardinals finished 3-14 last season. They have a first-year head coach, a quarterback in a contract standoff, and no realistic path to the NFC West title in a division that just got significantly harder.
Mack Wilson Sr sems to have heard none of it.
When reporters asked the Cardinals linebacker about the Los Angeles Rams trading for Myles Garrett, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher who led the NFL in sacks last season, gave an answer that reflected exactly zero concern.
“They got to deal with us,” Wilson said at the conclusion of Arizona’s mandatory minicamp. “At the end of the day, they got to deal with us.”
Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (3) in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Cardinals LB Mack Wilson Sr. is unfazed by the Rams and their off-season moves. pic.twitter.com/b5HSrOoc44
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 12, 2026
Wilson is heading into his eighth NFL season. He played inside linebacker for a Cardinals defense that gave up significant points throughout 2025 while the offense struggled around Jacoby Brissett after Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 5.
Murray was later released in March this year and eventually signed with the Minnesota Vikings. None of that context seemed to warrant pumping the brakes on his assessment.
Why the gap between Wilson’s confidence and the actual situation is worth noting
The Rams enter 2026 as the favorites to win the NFC West at +550 to win the Super Bowl. The Cardinals sit at +25000 alongside the Browns, Jets, and Dolphins. They have lost five of their last six games against the Rams.
Head coach Mike LaFleur is preparing for his first NFL season leading an organization that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2021.
The Rams, for their part, now have Matthew Stafford coming off an MVP season with 46 touchdowns, Puka Nacua coming off a season leading the NFL in receptions, Davante Adams, and Myles Garrett anchoring their defense.
Garrett recorded 23 sacks in 2025, the single-season NFL record.
I don’t see Wilson’s confidence as the problem here, as that’s exactly what a team leader should sound like in June.
Arizona’s schedule includes two dates with the Rams. Whether his words hold up by October is when the conversation gets really interesting.