The NFL season hit its midpoint with a week of highs and lows for Stanford football’s two highest-profile alumni.

Off a bye, Christian McCaffrey ’17 continued his productive 2026 campaign, scoring two touchdowns for the San Francisco 49ers, while Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson ’21 M.A. ’22 suffered a season-ending neck injury. 

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur announced Monday that Wilson suffered a neck fracture on the fourth play of the game in a 17-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Despite the injury, Wilson played through it, snagging six catches for 60 yards. 

“He’s such a warrior that he didn’t think much of it,” LaFleur said about the receiver’s initial response to the injury. 

Wilson ends the season with 51 catches, 546 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. The injury comes at a tough time for the Cardinals, who have fallen to 3-6 in a competitive NFC West division and recently traded their 2024 first-round draft pick, Marvin Harrison Jr., to the Houston Texans last month. 

Standout performances 

Christian McCaffrey ’17 (RB, San Francisco 49ers) – McCaffrey ran for 68 yards on 18 carries, caught two passes for 19 yards and found the end zone twice in a 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. McCaffrey’s 37th career receiving touchdown in the win marked the most by a running back in the Super Bowl era, surpassing Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. The 49ers are 7-1 and in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the conference. 

Notable contributions 

Dalton Schultz ’18 (TE, Houston Texans) – Schultz caught two of his four targets for 42 yards in Houston’s 44-22 blowout win over the winless Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans are 3-5. 

Elijah Higgins ’23 (TE, Arizona Cardinals) – Higgins caught both his targets for 11 yards against Seattle in their loss. 

Justin Reid ’19 (S, New Orleans Saints) – Reid made seven tackles, including one for a loss in the Saints’ 23-22 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns. The Saints are 3-5.