Ex-Cardinals star safety Wilson joins Panthers as VP
Former Arizona Cardinals star safety and Ring of Honor member Adrian Wilson agreed to terms to become the Carolina Panthers’ Vice President of Player Personnel, the Panthers announced Monday.
Wilson joins the Panthers after 20 seasons with the Cardinals, 12 as a player from 2001 to 2012 and eight in the front office, most recently as Vice President of Pro Personnel in 2021 and 2022. Wilson has also been the Cardinals’ Director of Pro Scouting, and at the end of the 2022 season, was the team’s co-general manager along with Quentin Harris.
Wilson issued a statement via social media thanking the Cardinals, and saying that he was encouraged by team owner and president Michael Bidwill to explore the opportunity with Carolina. He also said the Cardinals had asked him to remain with the team.
Wilson, 43, was a five-time Pro Bowler as a player and an All-Pro in 2009, and was inducted into the Cardinals Ring of Honor in September of 2015. He returns to North Carolina, where Wilson played in high school in High Point, N.C., and in college at North Carolina State.
He’s one of six players in NFL history with at least 25 career sacks and 25 career interceptions. One of the last images of Wilson’s time with the Cardinals happened in Week 2 when the Cardinals stunned the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime on Byron Murphy’s fumble return for a game-ending touchdown, with Wilson in a sharplooking suit racing down the sideline at Allegiant Stadium in stride with Murphy.
Wilson interviewed for the then-vacant general manager job after Steve Keim took a health-related leave of absence and eventually stepped down. The Cardinals decided not to go inhouse with the GM hire, as Monti Ossenfort got the job.