Larry Fitzgerald has not played an NFL game since 2020, but the Arizona Cardinals legend has taken an unusual approach to the end of his legendary career: he never formally announced his retirement from the NFL.
For all practical purposes, Fitzgerald’s playing career is over. However, unlike many NFL stars who hold a press conference or release a statement announcing their retirement, Fitzgerald quietly stepped away from football without making that declaration.
Did Larry Fitzgerald Officially Retire?
Technically, Larry Fitzgerald never made a traditional official retirement announcement.
Fitzgerald’s final NFL season came with the Cardinals in 2020. He did not return for the 2021 season and subsequently made it clear that he was not planning an NFL comeback.
In February 2022, Fitzgerald said he did not have the urge to play football again, effectively confirming that his playing days were behind him without formally describing himself as retired.
Fitzgerald has continued to make the distinction in the years since, describing his situation more as a transition into the next chapter of his life than a conventional retirement.
When Did Larry Fitzgerald Last Play in the NFL?
Fitzgerald last appeared in an NFL game on December 26, 2020, when the Cardinals faced the San Francisco 49ers.
That ultimately became the final game of his remarkable 17-season NFL career.
Fitzgerald did not sign with another team and did not play during the 2021 season. Although there was occasional speculation about whether the veteran receiver might return, a comeback never materialized.
Why Didn’t Larry Fitzgerald Announce His Retirement?
Fitzgerald simply chose not to make his departure from football into a traditional retirement announcement.
Instead, he gradually transitioned away from playing.
That created an unusual situation where Fitzgerald could accurately say he never formally “retired,” even though he has not played professionally in years and has moved on to life after football.
The distinction is largely personal rather than functional. From an NFL and historical standpoint, Fitzgerald is considered a former player.
Is Larry Fitzgerald Eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Yes.
Not formally announcing retirement did not prevent Fitzgerald from becoming eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame eligibility is based on the amount of time that has passed since a player’s final season rather than whether the player held an official retirement ceremony.
After last playing during the 2020 season, Fitzgerald eventually satisfied the five-season waiting requirement.
He was subsequently elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, earning induction in his first year of eligibility.
Larry Fitzgerald’s NFL Career With the Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals selected Fitzgerald with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, beginning one of the greatest careers by a wide receiver in league history.
Fitzgerald spent his entire 17-year NFL career with Arizona.
He finished his career with:
- 1,432 receptions
- 17,492 receiving yards
- 121 receiving touchdowns
- 11 Pro Bowl selections
- 3 First-Team All-Pro selections
- 2008 NFC Championship
- NFL 100 All-Time Team selection
Fitzgerald ranks second in NFL history in career receiving yards, trailing only Jerry Rice, and second in career receptions behind Rice.
His combination of production, longevity and loyalty to one franchise made Fitzgerald one of the defining players in Cardinals history.
Could Larry Fitzgerald Technically Come Back to the NFL?
Fitzgerald has given no indication that he intends to play football again.
While his decision not to formally announce his retirement created an interesting technical distinction, there is no realistic expectation of an NFL comeback.
His playing career is over, and his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame further marks his transition from active NFL star to one of the sport’s all-time greats.
So, Is Larry Fitzgerald Retired?
The best answer is yes in practice, but not through a traditional formal announcement.
Larry Fitzgerald hasn’t played since the 2020 NFL season and has made clear that he has moved on from playing football. However, he never held an official retirement press conference or issued the type of definitive retirement announcement commonly associated with longtime NFL stars.
Instead, Fitzgerald quietly walked away.
Now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, Fitzgerald’s playing career can unquestionably be considered complete — even if the Cardinals legend still prefers not to formally call himself “retired.”