Mike LaFleur and others share their best Larry Fitzgerald memories

TEMPE — After an illustrious career and a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, the honors continue this week for Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald Jr.

At halftime of Arizona’s home game against the Denver Broncos, Cardinals fans will finally get to properly celebrate Larry Legend as his jersey is retired and his name placed among the franchise’s Ring of Honor in State Farm Stadium.

And although there’s still a game to be played as Arizona looks to stack wins and get a home victory for the first time in Mike LaFleur’s head-coaching career, that hasn’t stopped him and others from reminiscing about Fitzgerald’s impact in Arizona:

Cardinals talk best Larry Fitzgerald memories

Mike LaFleur: “I just remember losing all the time when we were coming down here in 2017 and 2018 (with the San Francisco 49ers). Did get him in 2019. It was kind of a back-and-forth Thursday night game if you guys remember with Jimmy Garoppolo and Emmanuel Sanders. We just had traded for him in San Fran. It was a heck of a game. Came right down to the wire there.

“Lost a lot of games over here against Larry and lost a lot of games up north against Larry. (We) were just talking about when he got drafted here. I was a junior in high school. Sorry, Larry — not to date you at all — but what a stud of a player but even better person.”

What is Mike LaFleur’s best memory of Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald?

“I just remember losing all the time when we were coming down here in 2017 and 2018. Did get him in 2019.

“What a stud of a player but even a better person.” https://t.co/LTbmjiOfsM

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 21, 2026

Budda Baker: “There’s so many memories. I’ve seen him make a lot of plays. I would say my favorite memory was going to my hometown in Seattle and Kyler Murray’s scrambling and just throwing it up to Fitz and he catches a one-handed touchdown (in 2019).

“Just to hear the crowd being that loud being from there and just for them to be silent, that was something definitely special.”

 

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Trey McBride: “How cool is that to be a part of the game where he gets inducted? That’s going to be a very special moment for him, for the Cardinals organization, all of that stuff. Very cool to be a part of that. Larry’s a tremendous player, tremendous person, all the above.

“The times I’ve been with him, mostly on the golf course, he’s an awesome guy. We’ve had a lot of fun together and I have a ton of respect for everything that he’s done for this organization, this city, all the above. I’m extremely happy to be a small part of this induction. Very happy for him.”

Cardinals TE Trey McBride on the honor it is to be a small part of Larry Fitzgerald’s Ring of Honor induction and jersey retirement ⬇️ https://t.co/a7nyFMM2mk

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 22, 2026

Jacoby Brissett: “If you want a receiver, what do you want? It’s Larry. Always had a tremendous respect for him and then got to meet him a couple times. Met him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction and I was like, ‘Damn, man. I wish I was your teammate for a day.’

“You get that aura from him. A guy that’s always done everything the right way on and off the field and somebody that from afar I looked up to and I wanted people to regard me in the same light.”

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