Larry Fitzgerald taking things on a year-to-year basis, not worried about future with Arizona Cardinals
Aug 20, 2014, 5:49 PM | Updated: 10:19 pm
Larry Fitzgerald’s contract status is going to be a topic of conversation until it’s resolved.
The veteran receiver restructured his deal in February to clear up cap space for the Cardinals, but in doing so made it so that his 2015 cap number is north of $23 million.
That’s a hefty price to pay for anyone, let alone a receiver who while still effective, is most certainly on the downside of his career.
So, the belief is, 2014 may be the future Hall of Famer’s last campaign in the desert.
A guest of Doug and Wolf’s on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday, the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns said he’s not too focused on what the future may bring.
“Honestly it never really crosses my mind, to be honest with you,” he said. “So much is out of my control. All I can do is focus what I have control over and that’s just going out every day and working to improve and get better.
“That’s really what my mindset and my focus is, things that I can control.”
That makes sense.
The Cardinals have long maintained a desire to keep Fitzgerald for the duration of his career, and the eight-time Pro Bowl selection has never given any indication he’d like to play somewhere else.
But with the emergence of Michael Floyd and John Brown at receiver — along with an emphasis on featuring running back Andre Ellington in the passing game, as well — it’s not out of the question that Fitzgerald’s value to the Cardinals may not match his value as a player. If that ends up being the case, he may find a more lucrative offer elsewhere.
Because even a declining Fitzgerald is valuable, and it never hurts to add a player who has already racked up 846 catches, 11,367 yards and 87 touchdowns, a total that will most certainly be added to this season, which will be his 11th.
Rest assured, Fitzgerald will have options, even if he’s not thinking about that right now. The way the 30-year-old sees it, he’s kind of looking at things on a season-by-season basis.
“I think that we all are on a year-to-year basis,” he said. “This is not the NBA, this is not Major League Baseball where your contract is fully guaranteed regardless of anything. Football, everybody is on a year-to-year.”
