Is Larry Fitzgerald the next Cardinal to make it to the Hall of Fame?
Aug 8, 2015, 4:26 PM | Updated: Aug 10, 2015, 11:12 am
It’s a ritual that comes every August, marking the start of the football season by paying tribute to its past.
But as the Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomes a new class Saturday, it’s never too early to look ahead and see who might be the next hall of fame player from your favorite team.
For Cardinals fans, the choice may be an obvious one in current wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Entering his 12th season with the Cardinals, Fitzgerald has racked up 12,151 reception yards on 903 catches with 89 of them going for touchdowns.
According to a recent blog on ESPN.com, Fitzgerald is a no-brainer to be the next Cardinal to reach Canton, Ohio.
ESPN Cardinals beat writer Josh Weinfuss points out that some think the next Cardinals Hall of Famer should be safety and five-time Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson. But Weinfuss believes Fitzgerald, the eight-time Pro Bowl receiver who holds the team record for career yards from scrimmage, should be the next Hall of Fame inductee.
Other notable names on the list to make it to Canton include San Francisco 49er great Roger Craig, who became the first player in the league to rush for 1,000 yards along with 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Craig played a key role on the 49ers’ Super Bowl teams of the 1980s that also included Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
Quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers and receiver Randy Moss of the Minnesota Vikings are also on the list. So is linebacker Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and former San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who is fifth on the all-time NFL rushing list, behind of Hall of Famers, Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Curtis Martin.
