Larry Fitzgerald is staying humble about his chances of entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"I try not to get into the speculation," the legendary wide receiver told AZCardinals.com when discussing his potential entry into Canton.
While on the red carpet for his annual Fitz Supper Club fundraiser, the 11-time Pro Bowl player said he didn’t want to “get my hopes up,” just in case it doesn’t work out. "It’s completely out of my control.”
While Fitzgerald never officially retired, he hasn’t played since the end of the 2020 season. Thus, he should be eligible when the Pro Football Hall of Fame starts collecting nominations in June.
"I did everything I possibly could to put myself in this position, but they cut the numbers down,” said Fitzgerald.
New Hall Of Fame Voting Rules Narrows His Chances
After the Hall of Fame collects the initial pool of potential inductees, it’ll trim the number down to 50 in September. Then, it’ll cut the count to 25 in the fall. The final 15 nominees will be announced in December.
In the past, reduction votes narrowed the nominees down from 15 to 10 and then to 5. If any of the remaining five candidates received 80% of a yes-no committee vote, they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Now, the 15 will be reduced to ten, and then reduced to seven. However, the 49 committee members are only allowed to vote for five of those seven nominees.
Instead of doing a straight YES-NO vote on the nominees, the committee has to pick and choose with whom they want to spend their vote.
The 80% threshold still stands. That means 39 of the 49 voters need to say yes to the same player for them to get in.
Fitzgerald: 'A Lot Of Things That Work Against Me' Getting In
Like Fitzgerald, Drew Brees will also be eligible for the first time this year. Other notables who have yet to be enshrined are Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Luke Keuchly, and Fitzgerald’s fellow wide receivers Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt, and Steve Smith Sr.
Fitzgerald shouldn’t give up hope. He has the second-most receptions in NFL history (1,432), second-most receiving yards (17,492), and sixth in career receiving touchdowns (121).
The Cardinals' icon is considered one of the best receivers in NFL history, but he’s staying grounded about his chances of getting into the Hall of Fame on his first try.
“It's really subjective," he said. "I played in a small market. I only played in the playoffs four times in 17 years. There are a lot of things I did well but a lot of things that work against me. All of that is going to be taken into consideration, and that's why I try not to get too deep into it."