Larry Fitzgerald moves onto next phase of Hall of Fame voting for 2026 class
Arizona Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald has moved onto the next phase of Pro Football Hall of Fame voting for the 2026 class.
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Arizona Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald has moved onto the next phase of Pro Football Hall of Fame voting for the 2026 class.
Fitzgerald on Wednesday was among the 52 modern-era candidates who advanced into the voting process after a screening committee reduced the nominee field down from 128 names.
He’s one of eight players who made the next round of voting in their first year of eligibility.
Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Greg Olsen, Jason Witten and Maurkice Pouncey round out the new faces on the list.
Fitzgerald’s standing as a Hall of Fame candidate shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given his NFL stature.
His 1,432 career receptions are the most by a player with a single team in NFL history.
Fitzgerald ranks second all-time in catches behind Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice and his mark of 1,549. The former Cardinal also only trails Rice (22,895) in career receiving yards with 17,492 yards.
The future Hall of Famer also posted nine seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, while leading the league twice in touchdowns from 2012-13.
His efforts in a 2008 Super Bowl run were on another level, too, with Fitzgerald reeling in 30 catches for 546 yards and seven scores across four playoff appearances.
Fitzgerald racked up 11 Pro Bowls and three All-Pro nods in 17 seasons of work.
.@CalaisCampbell isn't surprised one bit by @LarryFitzgerald's Pro Football Hall of Fame nomination in his first year of eligibility.
"I think everybody's expectation is that Larry's going to be a first-ballot, unanimous decision immediately. He earned that." pic.twitter.com/znATizKyso
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 24, 2025
“I don’t think it’s any surprise,” former teammate of Larry Fitzgerald and current Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell told Arizona Sports in September. “I think everybody’s expectation is that Larry’s going to be a first-ballot, unanimous decision immediately. He earned that. I have so many memories of talking about legacy and just the impact that he wanted to have on the game when we were younger.
“He used to say he’s not even worried about the Hall of Fame. He doesn’t think about it, but we know it means a lot to him. He earned it. Very deserving. I’m a big fan of Larry Fitzgerald as is the rest of the world. When it comes to playing this game, he played it the right way. Very much inspiration, a big influence on my career. I’m very happy for him.”
Despite never officially retiring, Fitzgerald is eligible for the 2026 class thanks to being five years removed from his playing days.
What’s next in the Pro Football Hall of Fame process for Larry Fitzgerald?
Following the whittling down to 52 Hall of Fame candidates on Wednesday, the next step is cutting that number to 25. That announcement is expected to come in about five weeks, according to the HOF.
From there, 20 finalists — 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor — will be brought to the selection committee’s annual meeting ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Due to making the final list of the 2025 Hall of Fame class, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically advance to the group of 15 modern-era players.
Between four to eight new members must be selected for next August’s induction, per Hall of Fame bylaws.
Other former Cardinals up for the 2026 class include:
– Wide receiver Anquan Boldin
– Defensive end Simeon Rice
– Offensive tackle Lomas Brown
– Edge rusher John Abraham
– Edge rusher Terrell Suggs
– Running back Otis Anderson
– Defensive back Pat Fischer
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Comments
6 Comments
I'm just happy he survived having Kyler as his QB.
What I remember most is how Kyler was always trying to get Fitz killed.
Kyler was such a horrific QB, Fitz took a ton of vicious shots he wouldn't have taken, if the Cardinals had a real QB. Kyler threw late, threw high, threw behind him, and worst of all followed Fitz with his eyes across the formation. This last flaw allowed Defenders to target Fitz, with the goal of blowing him up. It was so bad that Kyler often gave Defenders as much as a 5 to 10 yard free run at Fitz. Part of me is amazed that Fitz didn't try to kick Kyler's butt for making him take all that punishment. IMHO, that's the true definition of being a crappy teammate.
IMHO, having to take all those completely unnecessary shots was sure to have influenced Fitz tp retire a couple years earlier than he might have planned.
Boldin, Boldin, Boldin