Larry Fitzgerald says his future retirement is linked to Carson Palmer
The Cardinals' receiver explained why he would consider retiring when Carson Palmer walks away from the game.
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2 min read
Larry Fitzgerald knows what it's like to catch passes from quarterbacks like John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, and Max Hall. He also knows what it's like to transition from a quarterback of Kurt Warner's caliber to one of those backup-caliber quarterbacks. So, it's understandable then that Fitzgerald doesn't want to experience another quarterback shuffle once Carson Palmer, 36, retires.
In fact, Fitzgerald indicated that his own retirement might be contingent on when Palmer chooses to walk away from the game. Speaking with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the 32-year-old Cardinals' wideout couldn't give an exact estimate of when he'll retire -- he said he'll sit down with his family next offseason and think about it -- but clearly linked that decision to Palmer's own decision.
"I just want to be on a contender; we've got a great group of guys here, we've got a wonderful football team that can compete at the highest level right now," he said. "I'm hoping that we can win the Super Bowl this year and it would be no questions asked."
Wait, no questions asked? So a victory in Super Bowl LI would mean the end of his storied career?
"I would still have to think about it and see where I was at," he said, before linking his fate to his quarterback's. "A lot of it's tied to Carson (Palmer) -- Carson's playing at a high level. I don't want to go through any other quarterback situations. It's been great to have the stability that we have now with the big fella, he's been playing light's out."
Until Cam Newton ultimately pulled away with the award, Palmer was actually considered a legitimate MVP candidate in 2015. With Palmer last season, Fitzgerald racked up 109 receptions, 1,215 yards, and nine touchdowns.
He also followed up his regular season with this:
This is the play before The Play after The Other Play:
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2016
Larry Fitzgerald starts OT with a 75-yard catch #BeRedSeeRed https://t.co/PQIxOy1FMX
With the majority of their team returning -- plus a healthy Tyrann Mathieu and Chandler Jones -- the Cardinals should compete deep into the postseason again, which might give Fitzgerald a chance to capture his first Super Bowl. And that's really the only thing missing in his career.
He's already 11th all-time with 1,018 catches. Assuming he stays reasonably healthy in 2016, Fitzgerald should jump all the way up to fifth all-time.
