If he doesn’t retire, where might former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald end up for the 2021 season?
At this point in the offseason, most have probably assumed that former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will announce his retirement from the NFL any day now.
However, former Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson doesn’t believe retirement is in the cards for Fitzgerald this year. During a recent episode of his “All Things Covered” podcast, Peterson said if Fitzgerald hasn’t retired yet, then “he ain’t going to retire.”
So if the legendary free-agent receiver is still looking to play next season, who will he suit up for? Arizona has hinted that they would welcome him back, but with the additions of A.J. Green and rookie Rondale Moore this year, there really isn’t much space for Fitzgerald in the team’s current group of wide receivers.
If he truly has his heart set on playing in 2021 no matter what, then it’s definitely possible that he could give it shot with another team. If Fitzgerald is open to putting on another organization’s uniform, where are some of the places he could end up before the upcoming season gets underway?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Before he was drafted by the Cardinals in 2004, Larry Fitzgerald made a name for himself as a member of the football team at the University of Pittsburgh.
Fitzgerald only spent two years at the school, but his time at Pitt is still talked about to this day. In his two college seasons, the future Hall of Famer caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns.
It seems safe to say that those in Pittsburgh who used to root for Fitzgerald in his college days would love to see the legendary wide receiver suit up for their local NFL team.
If Fitzgerald were to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, Still Curtain’s Tommy Jaggi believes the veteran receiver and his reliable hands would give Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a “security blanket,” out on the field to turn to when other targets are covered.
Jaggi also admits that Fitzgerald probably wouldn’t be any higher on Pittsburgh’s wide receiver depth chart than fourth or fifth. If the former Arizona pass-catcher is okay with that role, then perhaps we could see him suiting up in black and gold next season.
Seattle Seahawks
When players near the end of their careers sign with a new team, a good amount of them join a squad that they’ve become very familiar with during their time in the league.
Even though it would be incredibly painful to see Larry Fitzgerald in a Seattle Seahawks uniform, they’re one of the few teams that could interest the former Cardinals receiver.
Fitzgerald has been going up against the Seahawks for his entire NFL career, so he’s fully aware of all the success they’ve experienced since Pete Carroll took over as the team’s head coach in 2010.
Seattle is set at the top of their wide receiver depth chart with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. But after those two is where Fitzgerald could fit in.
The Seahawks did draft wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge in the second round this year, but there’s no guarantee that he will be ready to take over the role as the team’s No. 3 receiver next season. With his familiarity of the NFC West, and his massive amount of experience, Fitzgerald is someone Seattle could certainly consider bringing in to compete for their No. 3 receiver spot this year.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are the team that people continue to point to if Larry Fitzgerald ends up playing anywhere else besides Arizona next season.
Fitzgerald is a native of Minnesota, he spent time as a ball boy for the Vikings when he was in high school, and they have a current need for a No. 3 receiver.
He’s already friends with several players on Minnesota’s roster, including Adam Thielen and Patrick Peterson, so he wouldn’t be joining their locker room as a complete stranger.
The Vikings have been adding veteran free agents like Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, and Sheldon Richardson to their roster all offseason long. So the addition of Fitzgerald would just be a continuation of this philosophy, just on the offensive side of the ball.
If Minnesota presented the former Cardinals receiver with an enticing enough offer, could he decide to end his NFL career in the city where he grew up?