Throughout this offseason, the Arizona Cardinals have made a clear effort to upgrade Kyler Murray's pass-catching corps. They signed A.J. Green to a one-year, $8 million contract in free agency, then drafted former Purdue wideout Rondale Moore in the second round last week.
The team already had DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk on the roster, plus depth pieces like Andy Isabella and KeeSean Johnson. What they don't yet know is whether living legend Larry Fitzgerald will be back in the fold for next season.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim spoke Tuesday about Fitzgerald's thoughts on the team's offseason, but also let on that the Cardinals are still waiting for Fitz to make his own decision regarding whether he'll retire or return to play for an 18th season.
"He's told me he likes the moves in the offseason and he's excited, but he hasn't told me his plans," Keim said during a radio appearance, per the Arizona Republic. "I don't think there's any question that you never close a door on a guy like that of course. He's earned the respect and to be able to make the decision on his own."
Fitzgerald currently ranks second in NFL history with 1,432 career catches and 17,492 receiving yards, and sixth with his 121 receiving touchdowns. He had a career-low 54 catches for 409 yards and one touchdown last season, while also sitting out three games due to injury -- the first games he'd missed since 2014.
If he does return for the 2021 season, it seems likely that he'll play a more limited role as a chain-moving slot receiver and security blanket. If he calls it quits, he'll likely be enshrined in Canton, Ohio in five years' time.
