We've spent the last few offseasons closely monitoring the status of future Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald, but this offseason feels like it might be the tipping point.
After annually waiting for and eventually receiving confirmation he'll be back for another campaign, we've heard little on the Fitzgerald front this offseason. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim spoke on the matter Wednesday and said the window remains open for Arizona to find a way to bring Fitzgerald back for 2021.
Keim told reporters the start of the league year is not a deadline for Fitzgerald to decide on whether he'll return, per NFL Network's Omar Ruiz, adding the venerated pass-catcher deserves to make the call on his own time.
Fitzgerald posted his lowest production totals of his career this season, catching 54 passes for 409 yards and just one touchdown as part of an offense that included younger pass-catchers DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk. It wouldn't be all that surprising at this point to learn Fitzgerald is hanging it up after a legendary career that will one day land him in Canton, as he was essentially relegated to a secondary role in Arizona's offense.
With Arizona also now up against a salary cap projected to be much lower than expected a year ago, the Cardinals don't have a ton of room to pay Fitzgerald a healthy salary. If he wants to come back, it likely won't be for nearly as much as he's made on average over the course of his career.
At this point, though, money might not matter all that much to Fitzgerald. With the Cardinals on the precipice of legitimate contention, Fitzgerald could give it one more go with the hopes that he can help Arizona get back into the playoffs and make a deep run. The addition of J.J. Watt signaled the Cardinals are pursuing success immediately, making for an ideal environment for a veteran like Fitzgerald to run it back one more time.
For now, though, Fitzgerald's future remains unknown. Stay tuned.
