Loyalty not paying off for Arizona Cardinals stalwart
By Jim Koch
The ineptitude of the Arizona Cardinals front office has prevented the great Larry Fitzgerald from raising the Lombardi Trophy
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is probably wishing he had taken more time. This past February 15th, the future Hall of Famer announced that he’d be returning to the team for the 2018 schedule. Perhaps the Cards’ all-time leading pass-catcher reached that important decision too quickly.
Considering the lack of quality moves being made by Arizona’s front office, Fitzgerald may be wishing he had decided to call it quits. Using the term unimpressive to describe his team’s offseason would be putting it mildly. General manager Steve Keim has done nothing to justify the four-year contract extension he received from the Cardinals last month.
The free agent quarterback combination that the club has acquired for the upcoming season has elicited strong criticism from many observers of the NFL. There’s no denying that newly-appointed starter Sam Bradford is loaded with talent. The problem lies in the fact that the former first-overall pick of the 2010 draft seems to get injured at the drop of a dime.
Mike Glennon was once a sought-after young signal-caller. But a disappointing stint with the Chicago Bears has damaged the 28-year old’s reputation. Granted, the 6’6″, 229 pounder is coming to the desert as a backup, but the acquisition is being lambasted, nevertheless.
This is what Fitzgerald came back for? The Cardinals’ legend could be globetrotting instead, adding more countries to his “have visited” list. In just a few weeks, the 34-year old will begin running pass routes for one of the league’s most underwhelming quarterback situations.
Fitz deserves so much better. The face of the franchise has turned down opportunities to leave Arizona for greener pastures, opting to remain loyal to the organization who drafted him. Departed safety Tyrann Mathieu could use some work in that department, and could certainly learn a thing or two about allegiance from Fitzgerald.
The upcoming campaign could very well be a rough one for the Cards. Sure, there’s still plenty of time for Keim to add components to the squad. However, as is the custom in free agency, most of the best players were gobbled up during the first couple of days of the tampering period.
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Through all of the disappointment, Fitzgerald won’t complain. Classy individuals such as the 11-time Pro Bowler are programmed to take the high road. Fitzgerald deserves a Super Bowl ring, but the Cardinals’ management team is failing to bring in the players needed to deliver him one.