Arizona Cardinals: Keeping Larry Fitzgerald great for franchise

By Nick Ziegler | Feb 23, 2015

Sadly and due to many factors, the face of a franchise in professional sports doesn’t always finish his career with that organization.

That looked like it might be the case with the Arizona Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald.

With the third pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected Fitzgerald from the University of Pittsburgh. Fitzgerald would show his talent right away in the NFL with a solid rookie season, as he had 58 receptions, 780 yards, and seven touchdowns.

In his sophomore season, Fitzgerald would quickly emerge as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL with 103 catches, 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Not only would 2008 be a great season for Fitzgerald but also the Cardinals’ organization. With Kurt Warner at quarterback, Fitzgerald was named First-Team All-Pro with 96 catches for a career-high 1,431 yards. The great season from Fitzgerald helped the Cardinals reach Super Bowl XLIII.

In his four games in the playoffs that season, Fitzgerald’s stats were great. He totaled 30 receptions for 546 yards with seven touchdowns. It was his first appearance in the playoffs and he certainly didn’t show any inexperience. Fitzgerald would set single postseason records that year in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns, which solidified him as one of the games greats.

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With Fitzgerald’s great play it would land him a well-deserved monster contract, but recent years led to the most recent contact renegotiation. Under his old contact, Fitzgerald was set to make $16.5 million next season and would have counted $23.8 million on the salary cap. In each of the past three seasons, Fitzgerald hasn’t reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark. That makes what he was set to earn next season unrealistic in terms of the keeping him at that number.

The new deal that Fitzgerald and the Cardinals reached will keep the face of the franchise in Arizona for the next two seasons at least at $11 million guaranteed both years. The deal is very helpful for the Cardinals to help improve the team around Fitzgerald – saving them $13 million.

Jan 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches a pass over Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) during the fourth quarter in the 2014 NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

“There were two things we wanted out of this deal,” said Cardinals general manager Steve Keim (via the Star Tribune and Bob Baum of the Associated Press). “No. 1, we wanted to compensate Larry for the type of players he is and, No. 2, we wanted to set up a deal that would give us enough cap room to improve the team.”

“Once we decided to put our foot on the gas pedal we got it done pretty quickly,” added Keim.

Last season was a very difficult one for Fitzgerald. With injuries to the Cardinals’ quarterbacks the team’s passing production was erratic. Fitzgerald would have just 63 catches for 784 yards and two touchdowns in 2014.

No doubt 2015 will bring expectations for the Cardinals, as they were one of the best teams in the NFL last season despite an injury to their starting quarterback Carson Palmer.

Fitzgerald will be 32 years old at the start of next season and obviously his career is coming to a close. With a great chance to compete next year for a title in 2015, Fitzgerald hopes to lead the Cardinals to another Super Bowl appearance.

Next: Where do the Cardinals rank in all-time great franchises?

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