5. Retaining Larry Fitzgerald
Name a player currently in the NFL that doesn’t have a ring but deserves one more than Larry Fitzgerald. It’s hard to come up with one. And, that’s why we’ve seen so many rumors throughout the years that Fitzgerald was destined to become a New England Patriot or join another competitor.
But that never happened. Instead, Keim continued to retain Fitzgerald rather than buying into potentially fantastic trade offers. While the Cardinals would’ve benefited from a trade, losing Fitzgerald wouldn’t be right, and seeing him in another jersey may make the fanbase as whole sick.
Throughout Keim’s tenure, Fitzgerald has been extended once and re-signed another time. Although Fitzgerald is a surefire Hall of Famer, continuing to resign an older receiver is a risk. But, keeping him on the roster has been a success. Since Keim has been the general manager, Fitzgerald has caught 539 passes for 5,866 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Retaining an all-time great is an obvious move. But many other general manager’s might’ve been willing to part ways with him for a large haul. That’s not the right move — retaining him and keeping up a culture of consistency and great play for the franchise is.