What the return of Fitz means to Arizona Cardinals

Earlier on Wednesday news broke that Larry Fitzgerald was returning to the Arizona Cardinals for at least one-year

Now that the news is out and we’ve had about 10 hours to digest it, many fans have expressed their happiness that Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is returning to play in 2019.  Some have questioned the reasoning but the only important thing really is that he is.

It will mean a lot to the Cardinals players, especially the younger ones who will need the veteran leadership he can provide.  Even other veterans though benefit from someone of Fitz’s quality of character.

The terms of his new deal were not disclosed but does it matter?  Some think he is returning for the money if he isn’t asking for a trade.  That’s ridiculous.

Some wonder why a guy would want to come back to a team that just went through a 3-13 season and come back to play for a rookie NFL head coach in Kliff Kingsbury.  I’ll tell you why, loyalty.  He also can be a huge player in Kingsbury’s offense.

That’s just part of it too.  Yes, there is the unfinished business and a chance to compete once again.  The thing that stuck out in his announcement though was his desire to play and his sense of helping others.

Per azcardinals.com, he said this on his Instagram account “A fire burned inside of me my rookie year….I’m grateful that the fire still burns just as bright today”.  This was something some of us recognized as well.  He appeared as ready to play in 2018 as he did in 2004.

In his statement he also talked about impacting others off the field.  The way he goes about his daily business during the season and the offseason should be a model for others to follow.

He is polite, he has a sense of community, and a leadership quality that is sometimes difficult to find.  He enjoys football and he enjoys being in Arizona.

That last part, enjoys being in Arizona.  This is why he has refuted any chance to go to a contender.  This is why he stuck with many sub par teams in the desert.  His return could help pole vault this team out of the NFL cellar.

So, for those of you wondering, and yes for some reason you still exist, he is not being traded.  He isn’t going anywhere.  He wants to win but if it’s not in Arizona, its nowhere.  That’s just something some people have a very hard time grasping.

Even in comments on Twitter today, some had trouble understanding this concept still.  He’s not chasing money, he’s not chasing records.  He will admit what comes with his performance is nice but that’s not the main motivator.  It never has been.  Why start in year 16?