Cardinals Player Spotlight: WR Larry Fitzgerald
The Arizona Cardinals are down by four in Super Bowl XLIII and who do they turn to, none other than Larry Fitzgerald who goes 64 yards for a Cardinals touchdown.
Believe it or not it has been seven years since Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner put the team on their backs and took them to the Super Bowl.
A lot has changed since 2008; new General Manager and coaches, a carousel of quarterbacks, and only two trips back to the playoffs (2010, 2014). One thing has remained a constant with the Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Larry Fitzgerald in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. In his 11 seasons so far Fitzgerald has been a big piece of the Cardinals offense. He has amounted 12,151 yards and 89 touchdowns with the Cardinals, but many of those yards and touchdowns came with Kurt Warner at the helm.
The 2015 season will be different for Fitzgerald, he is no longer the cornerstone of the Cardinals offense and he has talent around him like never before.
Larry Fitzgerald had one of his worst seasons in 2014; playing in 14 games only amounting 784 yards and two touchdowns. Fitzgerald missed two games in 2014 due to a knee sprain, and his starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, missed 10 games because of nerve damage and then a torn ACL.
With both Fitzgerald and Palmer healthy, Fitzgerald’s numbers should rise from last season.
January 26, 2014; Honolulu, HI, USA; Team Rice receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals (11) during the 2014 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Fitzgerald was once a Pro Bowl caliber player, but with the as many quarterbacks as he has had and him turning 32 prior to the start of the regular season, he may not return to his 2008 days. He is still making those one handed catches fans love him for, and he will continue giving 110 percent on and off the field, but his production may never return to what it use to be.
When faced this offseason with restructuring his contract, Fitzgerald could have said no and force the Cardinals to trade him or cut him.
But Fitzgerald is more than a great receiver; he sat down with the front office and restructured to make room to get players prior to free agency. He is a class act, receiving the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship, and the Cardinals are lucky to have him.
Look for Fitzgerald to make an outstanding touchdown reception, flip the ball to the ref, and head back to the sideline to celebrate with his teammates. He does it no matter if the Cardinals are up by 21 or down by 14.
He may not be as productive, but he is still the Larry Fitzgerald we know and love.
The Cardinals’ offense is in no way lacking talent. With receivers like Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown, and Jaron Brown, and a healthy Carson Palmer, the Cardinals should be lighting up the scoreboards early and often.
Fans should not only expect big things from Larry Fitzgerald, but from the whole Arizona Cardinals team.