Larry Fitzgerald Admits Joining a Superteam Would’ve Felt “Cheap”, Reveals Why He Never Left the Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald is set to become the 24th Cardinals player to be inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Larry Fitzgerald Admits Joining a Superteam Would’ve Felt “Cheap”, Reveals Why He Never Left the Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald (Image via ESPN)

In his 17 years in the NFL, Larry Fitzgerald only ever played for the Arizona Cardinals. There were opportunities for him to leave the Cardinals for a contender, but Fitzgerald stayed loyal to the Arizona club.

The Cardinals drafted Fitzgerald third overall in 2004. From there on, Fitzgerald caught 1432 passes for 17,492 yards and scored 121 touchdowns in 263 games for the Cardinals.

In 2008, the Philadelphia Eagles and in 2014 the New England Patriots tried to sign Fitzgerald, but he turned both teams down to stay in Arizona. With the Patriots, he could have won a couple of rings to enrich his already illustrious career. However, his heart belonged to the Cardinals.

I don’t know if it would have meant the same for me if I would’ve went somewhere that was already a superteam… It would be a cheapness that I would feel about it, personally.

Larry Fitzgerald said John Weinfuss of ESPN

Fitzgerald admitted that thought had crossed his mind a couple of times, but he “never seriously tried to put it in motion.”

I loved where I was at. And quite frankly, I don’t know if it would’ve meant the same for me if I went to somewhere where it was already some super team .

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When did Larry Fitzgerald retire?

Larry Fitzgerald last played in the NFL during the 2020 season, when he was 37 years old. Five years later, he is set to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Larry Fitzgerald Admits Joining a Superteam Would've Felt "Cheap", Reveals Why He Never Left the Cardinals
Larry Fitzgerald (Image via ESPN)

Technically retired players are enshrined in Canton. However, Fitzgerald has never officially announced his retirement from the NFL. When reporters asked the now-42-year-old about his retirement, Fitzgerald replied that he would never retire.

Retired? What do you mean [by] retired? There’s no retirement in sight. And, so, I don’t know. I protest the word more than the actual thing. So, I just want to acknowledge that.

Fitzgerald revealed

Fitzgerald joined ESPN in 2022. He frequently appears on the Monday Night Countdown.

Is Larry Fitzgerald the best player in Cardinals history?

The Cardinals are among the founding franchises of the NFL. Thousands of players have walked through the doors of the Cardinals facility, but Larry Fitzgerald is arguably the best player the NFC West team has ever fielded.

Fitzgerald earned three All-Pro and 11 Pro Bowl honors in 17 seasons, despite playing with 16 different quarterbacks. He was the NFL receptions leader twice and also the receiving yards leader twice.

In 2008, Fitzgerald caught 96 passes for 1431 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. That year, the Cardinals reached their first-ever Super Bowl. Fitzgerald scored one of the touchdowns of the playoffs from a Kurt Warner pass. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers emerged victorious thanks to Santonio Holmes’ miracle catch. Fitzgerald finished the playoffs with 30 catches (later surpassed by Cooper Kupp) for an NFL record 547 yards and 7 touchdowns. Fitzgerald had 10 total touchdowns in 9 postseason appearances.

Larry Fitzgerald’s father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., was a sportswriter for the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder. Fitzgerald idolized Vikings legend and HOF WR Randy Moss during his college days at the University of Pittsburgh. In his final season with Pitt, Fitzgerald caught 92 passes for 1672 yards and scored 22 touchdowns.

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