Larry Fitzgerald: 10 Reasons This Is Fitz's Last Season in Arizona
Larry Fitzgerald Has Plenty of Reasons To Bolt Arizona
Larry Fitzgerald, one of the NFL's premier receivers, is without question the best player on the Arizona Cardinals team.
But for how much longer?
After a near upset in Super Bowl XLIII followed by a division title in 2009, the Cardinals fell hard in 2010, winning just five games.
The 27-year-old becomes a free agent after the 2011 season and more than a dozen teams will be drooling over him.
Here are 10 reasons why he'll join one of those teams outside the Valley of the Sun.
No. 10: The Ghost of the 2008 Cardinals
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It took the Arizona franchise over 60 years to reach even one championship game.
And it doesn't look like it's headed back any time soon.
That 2008 Cardinals team was special, and everything (except the final 2:37 of that Super Bowl) went right for them, from how they got into the postseason to their January run.
Fitzgerald and the franchise will always be chasing the specter of that team.
That's a tough legacy to live with the next 10 years.
No. 9: 2011 Cardinals Schedule
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Obviously, the Cardinals divisional schedule is pretty favorable: the Rams, 49ers and Seahawks aren't world beaters, so a 4-2 record is possible.
But after that, things get pretty difficult. They have to play the Steelers, Ravens and a rising Browns team as well.
And their intra-conference opponents will be the NFC East. The Eagles, Giants and Cowboys each figure to be playoff contenders next season.
If things fall apart early for the Cardinals, the second half of 2011 could get ugly and leave Fitz with a bad taste in his mouth.
No. 8: Anquan Boldin
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Just a year ago, the Cardinals showed no qualms about parting ways with a top notch wideout. A free agent to be at the end of 2010, they dealt 29-year-old former All-Pro Anquan Boldin to the Ravens for three mid-round picks.
Now Fitzgerald is a better talent than Boldin, been more productive and more durable.
But if they didn't want to pay Boldin's fee, why would they pay much more for Fitzgerald...even if he is worth it?
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No. 7: Daniel Snyder and the Washington Redskins
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Since taking over the franchise more than a decade ago, Daniel Snyder has not been shy about signing free agents to huge contracts or trading for superstars.
And for the most part, he's missed terribly: Albert Haynesworth, Deion Sanders, Donovan McNabb, Jeremiah Trotter and so on.
But if there ever was a free agent no-brainer, it would be Fitzgerald. He will be just 28 when he potentially hits the market next spring and his skills translate into any offense, regardless of what Mike Shanahan concocts.
No. 6: Kurt Warner's Influence
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Last October, Kurt Warner, Fitzgerald's friend and the man whom he caught dozens of touchdowns from was asked about the Pro Bowl wide receiver's future.
"I don't think there is any question Larry will consider his options based on what the situation is here...Any player in his right mind would do that. It's not just about money but finding a place where he can maximize his career and talent."
That isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for Fitz's return to Arizona.
No doubt he'll ask Warner for advice on the matter, and although Warner has to love the Cardinal franchise for giving his career a tremendous shot in the arm, Warner knows as well as anyone that the NFL is about business and emotion-less decisions.
How else do you explain him being pushed out of St. Louis in favor of Marc Bulger?
No. 5: The NFC West Is a Laughingstock
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It's true that no matter what, the team that wins the NFC West gets a home playoff game. And the Seahawks did a lot for the division's credibility by defeating the Super Bowl champion Saints with that berth.
But the division is still the worst in the NFL. The Rams are improving, but the Seahawks ceiling doesn't seem particularly high, while the 49ers and Cardinals are a mess.
Fitzgerald is clearly one of the world's premier football players and being stuck in a second-class division is not where he belongs. Shifting sides to the AFC East, where the Patriots show interest, or the NFC North, where the Chicago Bears need a wide receiver, would put him in first-class competition.
No. 4: Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson/Ochocinco/Johnson and the Rest
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He may have the same skills and comparable or better stats, but Larry Fitzgerald isn't anything like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson-turned-Ochocinco-turned-Johnson.
Fitzgerald doesn't cause problems with teammates, coaches and fans. He stays out of trouble both on and off the field and can be the ideal face of a franchise.
Owners should be willing to shell out extra dollars and overpay for him when they know he won't quarrel with coaches, teammates or caterers.
That will drive the price up and might force the Cardinals out of the running.
No. 3: Returning Home to Minnesota
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Fitzgerald was born and raised in Minneapolis. He was the team's ball boy back in the semi-golden age of Dennis Green. His father, Larry Sr., still covers the team for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
That has to make it appealing to at least consider bolting Arizona for a return to the Metrodome to play for the Vikings.
Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin give Minnesota a good receiving duo already, so shelling out eight figures for another wideout doesn't make sense right now.
But Rice is a free agent this offseason, and the combination of his recent hip surgery and the presence of Fitz on next year's market might convince the Vikings to let Rice go so they can fill his spot next year with Fitzgerald.
No. 2: The Phoenix Market and Its History
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Reaching Super Bowl XLIII helped a bit, but the Cardinals still are one of the NFL's second-tier franchises in terms of recognition and name value.
The three biggest markets in the NFL are New York, Chicago and Dallas greater areas, each of which would be delighted to pull in a player like Fitzgerald.
Now Fitz probably cares more about wins than he does about dollars or the spotlight, but those other markets have more pressure to win now and fill out the entire roster with talent.
In the long run, those franchises will be more competitive than the Cardinals, who have been poorly run for decades, no matter what they did in 2008 and 2009.
No. 1: The Quarterback Situation
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Someone has to throw the ball to Fitzgerald for him to be successful. And although he put up pretty good numbers (90 catches, 1,137 yards, six touchdowns), 2010 was still the worst season he's had since 2006.
It's no coincidence that his career took off when Kurt Warner took over and no coincidence that it hit a snag when Warner retired.
That would have been fine if Matt Leinart didn't become a bust, if Derek Anderson didn't become a bust and if Max Hall wasn't a struggling rookie.
Hall, Anderson and John Skelton don't give the Cardinals much of a future to build on. And even if they do take a quarterback in the first round, it's doubtful that Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert or Ryan Mallett will be ready to play right away.
And even if he signs a deal after, there's no guarantee one of those first round choices will pan out.
Fitzgerald has seen what an established veteran quarterback can do for him as an individual and for a team's playoff chances. He probably has to leave town to find one.
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