Larry Fitzgerald feels good after coming off Cardinals COVID-19 list

Larry Fitzgerald lived through the uncomfortable uncertainty after being diagnosed with coronavirus this Thanksgiving.

By that weekend, he felt the mild symptoms, and the next two weeks included lots of worrying, lots of getting things done around the house and, of course, frustration that he wasn’t able to help his Arizona Cardinals teammates in two losses.

Exactly two weeks after being diagnosed, Fitzgerald said he still has lingering symptoms but feels confident that he can play Sunday against the New York Giants.

His role and playing time for the Week 14 game is up to head coach Kliff Kingsbury, he said.

“I feel much better. Still can’t really taste or smell anything but that’s much better than (what) a lot of people are dealing with,” the receiver said Thursday.

Fitzgerald admitted the time away from the team helped his body heal with a “couple things that were bothering me before … not that it would keep me out of a game, but nagging things.”

A loss of appetite led to Fitzgerald shedding nine pounds, he added.

While cooped up and away from the team over the past two weeks, Fitzgerald said he used his time productively. He read, ran a few times and went through Peloton workouts.

“I got my estate planning all done again, revised my will, I did a lot of stuff,” he said.

There was also a bit of time to think. Fitzgerald, who is third on the team with 336 receiving yards this season, said the scariest part of coming down with the virus was not knowing what would come next.

A few days after Thanksgiving he began feeling unlike his normal self.

“You feel symptoms, you ask and nobody can really tell you it’s going to be better or this is how long it usually takes,” Fitzgerald said. “You’re sitting at home and you’re watching TV and you see the cases and you see the deaths across the nation … obviously, you worry.”

The 200 to 400 texts he’d receive a day from worried friends and acquaintances made Fitzgerald appreciate the relationships he’s built.

Of course, during his time off, the 37-year-old watched over the past two weeks as the Cardinals dropped games to the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

Sitting on the couch did allow him to see things he wouldn’t had he been on the sidelines, and the 17-year pro said he has forwarded those thoughts to his teammates and coaches. To reporters, he kept those opinions private.

“You learn very quickly in this league you’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. It’s hard not to feel like you’re part of the problem when you’re not there to help,” Fitzgerald said of watching Arizona from afar. “I hope I can bring some added energy, do something to help our team get back in the winner’s circle.”

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