Wesley Showing Why Kingsbury Had Faith in Him

"I was telling him last week that every time the ball is put up in the air and it's a contested catch or a high ball, I always expect him to come down with it," wide receiver Christian Kirk said Tuesday. "I've seen him do it over 100 times from the start of training camp."

The two touchdowns came after Wesley failed to come down with a deep pass that Murray thought should have been caught. 

But the quarterback continued to show trust in Wesley, which is needed for someone in that role. 

"I got after him a little bit, we had a little talk," Murray said. "He said, 'Keep coming after me.' I just gave him a chance, kept giving him chances and he made up for it for sure.”

Wesley has now played over half of Arizona's offensive snaps with multiple catches in three straight games since Hopkins went down with a potential season-ending knee injury. 

The Cardinals have one more game until the playoffs start, of which they clinched a spot, and Wesley will continue to have a role. 

He made the most of his chances in training camp to get past the cutdown to 53 players despite missing some action due to injury. 

But Kingsbury knew the type of worker he was getting along with Wesley's potential. 

“I think Antoine is a good fit for any system," Kingsbury said earlier this season. "He’s long, wiry. He high-points the ball as good as anybody I’ve ever been around, and one of the most tough-nosed kids I’ve ever seen."

Of course, Wesley's familiarity with Kingsbury's offense is a boost. He played three seasons at Texas Tech before entering the NFL Draft. '

He caught 88 passes for 1,410 yards in his final collegiate campaign, leading the team in both categories. 

Wesley said not getting drafted after having that production was a reality check.

"Going undrafted kind of set me back, humbled me more," Wesley said earlier this season. "I understand what God had in plan. I just trusted it. Trusted the process and put my head down and kept grinding."

Not playing for two years after the draft was a harsh lesson about patience, something Wesley said he needed to improve on. 

When he was hurt in training camp this year, his golden chance to make the team, he kept the mentality that he would make every play he could when he came back. 

He did and continues to prove his worth. 

“I was probably the only one in the building that knew he could," Kingsbury said Sunday. "I watched him in college. Nobody could cover him, and he just is productive. He was productive in training camp anytime he got his opportunities to make plays."

These opportunities for many players are tryouts to keep a role in the NFL. 

Some players say when asked about individual accolades that contributing to winning will lead to everything else. 

The same applies for Wesley and his NFL future.