Cris Carter: Fitzgerald, Hopkins have top-5 hands of all time

Not only does Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter believe that the two wide receivers with the best hands among active players are both on the Cardinals, but he thinks they both have top-5 hands of all time.

Carter listed his top five hands of all time among NFL wide receivers, with “hands” often referring to players’ ability to catch the ball and manipulate it in the air when throws are tough, contested or just barely within reach. In the NFL.com video, two current Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins, were on the list.

His top five was in no particular order.

The pair of Cardinals were alongside Hall of Famers Steve Largent, Randy Moss and Jerry Rice.

“When you talk about the current state of the NFL as far as the best hands, I have these guys at the top of that list,” Carter said. “They’ve done it for a long period of time, and that’s why they’re on this elite list.”

Fitzgerald is so known for his sure hands that he appeared in a Sportscenter commercial catching things that fell. He had only two drops in 2018 and zero in 2019, making 144 receptions combined over those two years. In his career, he’s twice led the league in receptions, doing so in 2005 and in 2016.

He also hasn’t missed a game since 2014, meaning that between his hands and his health, Fitzgerald is among the most dependable pass-catchers in football.

Hopkins, meanwhile, is entering his first season with the Cardinals after seven steady seasons with the Houston Texans. He has 632 receptions and 8,602 receiving yards in his career so far, and has only missed two games that whole time. He has six drops on 313 targets the last two seasons.

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