Wilson has helped spark Minnesota’s defense, which ranked No. 4 in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt and fifth against third downs through Week 17.
And the thing of it is, Wilson wasn’t necessarily slated to start when he re-signed with Minnesota this spring and returned where his career began in 2017 as an undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati. He played his first four seasons in Purple, first making a splash on special teams and gradually earning more defensive snaps, eventually starting 15 games in 2020 and hauling in three interceptions. He joined the Eagles in free agency following that season but was released in November and claimed off waivers by Houston.
Wilson started the 2022 season on the Saints practice squad but was signed by the Packers in October; he went on to play the next two-and-a-half seasons in Green Bay, where he overlapped with running back Aaron Jones, Sr.
“A very underrated player. Every time I see him. I give him his flowers,” said Jones, now in his second season with Minnesota. “Anytime I got a chance to play against him, play with him — he leaves it all out on the field, and you can see that, and it’s contagious. His energy is contagious.
“And then when he gets the opportunities, he plays his butt off. And you’ve never heard of him complaining, ‘Oh, I’m not the starter,’ ” Jones continued. “When he was in Green Bay, he wasn’t starting, necessarily. But when his opportunity came, he made the most of it, and things changed. It’s the same thing here.”