1 Sign Larry Fitzgerald May Retire After 2019 Season
Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is nearing the conclusion of his 16th season in the league. Fitzgerald has continued to prove to be an ageless wonder at his position despite being at the tail end of his illustrious career. With the regular season about to wrap, it has brought in question his future with the franchise beyond the 2019 campaign as retirement is once again a realistic possibility for the future Hall of Famer. With that in mind, there is one sign that is pointing to him possibly leaning towards finally stepping away from the game.
Larry Fitzgerald’s incredible career
Since entering the league, Fitzgerald has been a mainstay as one of the top wide receivers in the game.
The 36-year-old‘s production hasn’t waned through the last 16 seasons as he has racked up numerous records along with posting consistently elite numbers across the board. He holds the league mark with eight seasons posting at least 90 catches along with eight campaigns with more than 1,000 receiving yards.
He is also the oldest player to record 100 reception, 1,000 yards, five touchdowns in three consecutive years. All of that has helped him move to second all-time with 1,303 catches and 16,279 receiving yards along with being tied for sixth with 116 receiving touchdowns. Fitzgerald also has 11 Pro Bowl selections, a First-Team All-Pro nod, and two Second-Team All-Pro selections.
That has also helped cement him as a sure-fire Hall of Famer whenever he does decide to retire. There look to be signs that could be coming next offseason.
1 hint that Larry Fitzgerald may be stepping away
The discussion of retirement around Fitzgerald has sparked up once again, with the 2019 season quickly coming to a close. That was certainly the case heading into Week 15 action against the Cleveland Browns in which was the final regular-season home.
In the hours ahead of the contest, Fitzgerald’s father took to social media to voice that Sunday’s game could be the last time that he plays at the University of Phoenix Stadium. That has added to the chatter around the star wideout’s long-term future, which his family is under the impression that he could be leaning towards retirement. He once again touched upon the topic following the game, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.
“I told you guys, it’s a job. I love what I do, but when it’s over, it’s over and I’m not going to lose any sleep.”
Fitzgerald had been on the fences throughout the year about his long-term future. He has consistently voiced that he isn’t sure if he will return for at least one more season. It’s a situation that is quite evident that it’s very much still up in the air.
When to expect Larry Fitzgerald’s decision
The Cardinals have taken the approach of letting Fitzgerald decide on his own time over the last couple of years as he floated the idea of retirement.
In each instance, he has made relatively quick decisions concerning that matter with that coming in mid-to-late January. That could be the case after the 2019 campaign, as he won’t want to make it a situation that lingers on and keep the Cardinals waiting for his choice.
Whatever he does decide, it sounds like he will be quite comfortable with it. Fitzgerald is still playing at a high level with 67 catches for 711 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the first 14 games played. His numbers have lessened a bit, but he does have a pair of 100 receiving performances. There’s no question that he could still be a factor in the passing game for Arizona if he were to come back for at least one more season.
Ultimately, it’s a matter that won’t receive any clarity until the 2019 season is wrapped up for the Cardinals in the coming weeks.
