Mack Wilson Sr. didn't get his mom anything for Mother's Day, but it was part of an elaborate plan.
Instead, shortly after he had signed his first big free-agent contract and came to the Cardinals, he called up Sandra Wilson and all the women in his family to drive to Houston and have a "women's weekend" at an Airbnb on Wilson's dime – except the house was really Sandra’s, a gift from her son.
"She pulled up and it was her house," the linebacker said. "It was super-dope."
Wilson is counting on it not being his only successful surprise in 2024.
In his sixth season, the Cardinals are his chance. There was something coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort loved about a player who was a full-time starter only one season – his rookie year in Cleveland – and whose starts have shrunk each year. The last three seasons Wilson has played 21, 21 and 27 percent of his team's defensive snaps.
That number is expected to climb and with it, Wilson's reputation as well.
"I feel like there is still some 'ehhh,' they're not really sure," Wilson said. "I feel like this year I'll have a chance to showcase the type of player I am."
Wilson was already someone the Cardinals liked to use in coverage, pairing with fellow veteran Kyzir White. He also got a chance to rush off the edge some last season with the Patriots and Bill Belichick, posting a career-best 3½ sacks in what was really his first chance to have such a role in the NFL.
His makeup is not surprisingly aligned with White – an inside linebacker that isn't huge but has the lateral game to play sideline to sideline and the mentality to be more physical than the frame might suggest.
"He definitely is a violent player that pops out on the tape to me, along with versatility we keep talking about," defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said. "(Wilson) fits the mold of what we are looking for."
Will Wilson get a chance to rush off the edge sometimes? Likely. Will he be in coverage? Yes to that too. Of all the free agents the Cardinals signed, Wilson was the one that felt particularly targeted, a piece needed for Rallis that may not pop on every team but made sense in Arizona.
White, coming off a torn pectoral, noted last month he and Wilson had already discussed how the duo aren't considered impactful by many national pundits.
"When we are in there working out or running and we're tired, that's in our head," White said.
Wilson (who played through a labrum injury himself this past season, having it surgically repaired afterward) understands what a high-profile defense can be. In college, he played for Nick Saban at Alabama, before getting his Belichick trial the last two seasons. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school.
Now, he's looking to surprise whoever he can.
"The last few years, people act like they still don't know who I am," Wilson said. "That's OK. This year I have the opportunity to show the world what type of player I am. This is just the beginning for me. I promise you …"
Wilson paused.
"I don't want to do too much talking. But I'm ready to go."
