NFL.com: Larry Fitzgerald among top active players without Super Bowl ring
Jan 29, 2016, 7:16 AM
Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald stands with his teammates before the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
(AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
It’s not exactly a club you want membership in: the best active NFL players who have never won a Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, he’s in it, according to NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison.
Fitzgerald ranks sixth on Harrison’s list of the top ten current NFL players who have never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
Fitzgerald certainly owns the career numbers (1,018 receptions for 13,366 yards and 98 touchdowns) to merit inclusion on this list. And then, when you add in his postseason career and his ability to lift his game against the top competition, it becomes even more apparent that this is a player who more than deserves a Super Bowl ring. He is the only player ever to have three games of 150-plus receiving yards in the playoffs, and he has more postseason touchdown catches (10) than any other active player.
Many thought this would be the year that Fitzgerald graduated from the dubious club. In his 12th season in the league, Fitzgerald caught a career-high 109 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns in helping the Cardinals to a 13-3 regular-season record, an NFC West title and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
Unlike many in the top ten, Fitzgerald has actually appeared in a Super Bowl. He caught seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ Super Bowl XLIII loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers seven years ago. Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown catch with 2:37 remaining gave Arizona a 23-20 lead and is still one of the most iconic plays in franchise history.
Topping Harrison’s list is Denver Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who has a chance to graduate from the club with a win over the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7.
Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Dallas tight end Jason Witten round out the top five.
Ranking below Fitzgerald are Carolina defensive end Jared Allen, San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, Indianapolis wide receiver Andre Johnson and Baltimore wide receiver Steve Smith.
