Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee

Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald has a new title: First-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.

The former wide receiver is among the five inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026 after receiving at least 80% of the votes for the honor.

He — along with quarterback Drew Brees, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and running back Roger Craig — will officially be immortalized in Canton, Ohio, later this year.

It should come as no surprise Fitzgerald gets in on his first year of eligibility.

When Larry Fitzgerald stepped onto a boat, everything changed. See his Hall of Fame moment in “Hall of Fame Knocks: Class of 2026,” on NFL Network, Saturday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m. EST. Class of 2026 presented by @VisualEdgeIT. @LarryFitzgerald @AZCardinals @NFL @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/nXrL5lYhmt

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) February 6, 2026

His resume speaks for itself.

Hanging it up for good in 2021 — although he never announced his retirement — Fitzgerald sits No. 2 all-time in both catches (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492) in the NFL record book. He added 121 touchdowns.

Only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice can claim the top spot in the either category behind 1,549 catches and 22,895 yards.

Fitzgerald, however, did it all with one franchise, something Rice can’t say having played for three teams.

Fitzgerald also had one of the most memorable postseason runs in NFL history behind 30 catches for 546 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008. The Cardinals couldn’t get it done in the Super Bowl, but Fitzgerald’s performance lives on through the minds of many.

The accolades piled up in Arizona, too, with Fitzgerald earning 11 Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro honor.

“If I got to vote, he’s first-ballot every day of the week. He’s an unreal dude, unreal athlete, a great person of society around here,” Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins told Arizona Sports during Wednesday’s Annexus Pro-Am at the WM Phoenix Open. “I really appreciate what he’s done for us. He’s still involved with the Cardinals a lot. It’s really nice.”

Larry Larry Larry!!!

— Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) February 6, 2026

But even with a concrete case at making the Hall of Fame, Fitzgerald didn’t get too far ahead of himself in the days and weeks leading up to Thursday’s announcement.

As he told Arizona Sports on Wednesday, “you can’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

And for as much as he did on the field, Fitzgerald was and continues to be top tier off of it. His Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2016 is a good reminder of that.

Same with his influence and impact on youth education and breast cancer awareness through his foundation.

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