ARIZONA CARDINALS

Larry Fitzgerald ranked 22nd-best player in the NFL

Jun 14, 2013, 4:57 PM | Updated: 5:08 pm

Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is coming off a season in which he tallied just 71 receptions for 798 yards and four touchdowns.

For his career, the reception total is third worst, yard total second worst, and touchdown total THE worst.

But Fitz’s NFL peers aren’t too down on him, as they rated him as the 22nd-best player in the league, according to the NFL Network. He was ranked seventh last year.

Though a significant drop, most view it as a sign of respect for the player, with the idea being that quarterback play — not his talent — was the impetus for the down season.

“He’s got sticky fingers; he catches everything,” Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman said. “I had the opportunity to play him this year, and he didn’t really drop anything.

“That’s what makes him so effective.”

For the record, Fitzgerald notched eight receptions for 111 yards in a loss to Tillman’s Bears.

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Larry Fitzgerald ranked 22nd-best player in the NFL