ManningCast pokes fun at Larry Fitzgerald’s status during Cardinals vs. Rams
Jan 17, 2022, 7:20 PM | Updated: Jan 18, 2022, 12:07 am
Larry Fitzgerald attends the 35th Annual Footwear News Achievement Awards on November 30, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
You knew that former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was going to get a joke or two tossed his way in his old team’s 34-11 Wild Card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Fitzgerald joined ESPN’s ManningCast, a separate broadcast of Monday Night Football in which former NFL quarterbacks and brothers Peyton and Eli Manning break down what they are seeing.
The brothers have a few guests for each game, and Fitzgerald was one of ’em to see his former squad in its first playoff game since 2015. As expected, there was a bit of banter involved.
Peyton introduced Fitzgerald by mentioning that the 11-time Pro Bowler was at SoFi Stadium, jokingly asking if Fitzgerald was on standby in case the Cardinals had a few injuries at wide receiver, just like how the Rams signed Eric Weddle after both their starting safeties got injured.
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“I probably couldn’t get open if he were guarding me,” Fitzgerald joked. “I think it’s best for me to be sitting right where I’m sitting hanging out with you guys and pulling for my team.”
Eli later asked if tight end was an option, prodding at how a post-playing career for Fitzgerald probably included a few extra pounds.
“I don’t think so,” Fitzgerald said. I’ve been eating a little too much, enjoying it a bit longer than I should have.”
But isn’t that the point?
“Could you imagine me blocking Von Miller? No chance. There’s no chance,” Fitzgerald said.
Better point.
Fitzgerald’s appearance on the broadcast did not come at an opportune time for a Cardinals fan. The Cardinals failed to get a first down on offense and had a total of -3 yards.
You could tell how much Fitzgerald was invested in the game, audibly reacting to some key moments, like a Cardinals trick play that got called back or a near-fumble recovery.
But there wasn’t anything good for Fitzgerald to really react to, as he encouraged Arizona to pick up its gap integrity in the run game, where the Rams gashed the Cardinals for a few big gains that contributed to scoring drives.
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