Larry Fitzgerald is 33 years old. He's accumulated 1,116 catches and 103 touchdowns in his career. He's led the league in touchdowns twice and is currently on pace to lead the league in catches for the second time. By all accounts, he is a future Hall of Famer. Playing beyond this year would only serve to enhance his resume and, of course, allow him to continue the quest for an elusive championship.
In the midst of a disappointing Cardinals season, Fitzgerald was asked in a radio interview if this season will be his last. Will he retire?
"I wouldn't say that I'm contemplating it right now," Fitzgerald replied, per the team's official website. "But I'm uncertain of what I am going to do moving forward. I still love the game, I love the competition, I love being around the guys and competing for a championship. That's a lot of fun for me. That's kind of where I am at right now. I'm really just focused on these last two games."
The Cardinals are not going to make the playoffs, but they do have a chance to play spoiler against the Seahawks on Sunday, damaging their rival's chances of capturing the NFC's No. 2 seed. Beyond that, the Cardinals do still have one of the better overall rosters in football, but they were dragged down this year by poor play from the offensive line and quarterback Carson Palmer, who himself is getting up there in age and is a candidate for retirement.
Fitzgerald has been through plenty of quarterback changes in Arizona, and may not want to go through another -- especially if it involves breaking in a young starter that needs to gain experience before playing at a high level. Considering how well Fitzgerald has played over the last few seasons, it seems crazy to think he might walk away. In any event, the chance to compete for a Super Bowl, may ultimately be too much of a draw to keep him away from the field in 2017.
