ESPN analyst says Fitzgerald is frustrated, but ‘sold out’ for Cardinals
Dec 4, 2012, 5:53 PM | Updated: 7:15 pm
Former NFL receiver and current ESPN NFL analyst Cris Carter is glad he’s not Larry Fitzgerald.
Carter caught 1,101 passes over his 16-year career, which was spent with the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins.
He was one of the best receivers in the game, though he has not caught a pass since retiring after the 2002 season.
And yet, Fitzgerald caught just one more pass than Carter did this past Sunday.
“He is not our typical wide receiver but he’s very frustrated, though,” Carter told ESPN’s Mike & Mike Tuesday morning.
Fitzgerald is having one of the worst seasons of his career, and is on pace to catch just 75 passes for 867 yards and five touchdowns. He’s been held to five catches over the last three games — on 26 targets — and his team is riding an eight-game losing streak.
“There’s no greater competitor in the National Football League than Larry Fitzgerald,” Carter said. “There is no wide receiver who likes to look good better than Larry Fitzgerald.
“There is no guy who wants to get the ball and loves seeing himself get the ball to affect the overall outcome of the game.”
He has been unable to do that this season, largely through no fault of his own. Fitzgerald has caught passes from three different quarterbacks in 2012 as the Cardinals have searched for someone to replace Kurt Warner.
There is no end in sight to the quest, and Carter said Fitzgerald knew this was possible. That said, the analyst noted his friend is not looking to leave the desert.
“He is very, very frustrated, but he is sold out for the Cardinals,” Carter said. “That’s his team, that’s where he’s going to make his home, that’s where he’s going to live his life.”
