Larry Fitzgerald, who has seemingly found the fountain of youth, is returning for his 17th season with the Arizona Cardinals. Recently, he signed a new deal with the Cardinals, but the terms have not yet been disclosed. In the previous 4 seasons, he has earned $11 million.
While his retirement has become wildly speculated as of late, it appears to be put on hold for at least one more season. So, both Cardinals fans and lovers of the game get a little more time to witness the NFL’s only active member of the league’s All-Time team in action. Fitzgerald has closely watched and evaluated his health yearly. Unlike Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly, he has more left in the tank. We should be grateful. Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best to ever do it.
Is he slowing down? Hardly. Just ask Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury, “I think he’s playing as good as anybody, honestly. You watch what he does week in and week out, the little things, the blocking and the toughness that he brings to the offensive side of the football. He’s just still creating separation. He does it all.” From a statistical standpoint, he’s still putting up solid numbers. This past season, he had 75 catches for 804 yards and 4 touchdowns. Plus, he had this to say about the most recent installment of his career, “This season was among the most fun of my career. The future is so bright for this team and I relish the opportunity to build with this talented young nucleus.”
While he has a career total of 17,083 yards and 120 touchdowns, there is one stat that has escaped him during his long, productive career. That is a Super Bowl trophy. Fitzgerald came close in 2008, but the Pittsburgh Steelers derailed that opportunity with a dramatic 27-23 victory. Are there other teams that are contenders who could employ his services? Most definitely. Is it something Larry Fitzgerald is thinking about? It doesn’t appear so. Larry said, “Arizona is where I started and where I will finish. 2020! Let’s get to work!” Can he and his Arizona band of brothers get that elusive trophy in 2020? The Cardinals and fans have reason to be optimistic; especially after a brilliant rookie campaign by Kyler Murray. The youngster threw for 3,722 yards with 20 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. They appear to have a quarterback in place. Time will tell. Even if Larry and the Cardinals don’t make it, we still have one more season to watch the legend take the field. Thank you Larry Fitzgerald for allowing us one more chance to see greatness.