2026 Hall Of Fame Class Unveiled
As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been revealed. Here is the full breakdown of the five-member class:
Drew Brees, quarterback (2001-20)
Chosen by the Chargers in the second round after they had traded down (via the Falcons) from No. 1 overall, Drew Brees joined LaDainian Tomlinson in what is now a two-Hall of Famer 2001 Bolts draft class. It took a while longer for Brees to join the superstar running back on that Canton path, but he found it in New Orleans. Brees did begin to turn his career around by 2004, when he guided the Chargers to their first playoff berth in eight years and made the Pro Bowl (no small feat with prime Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the AFC at the time) in 2004. A John Lynch sack in a Broncos-Chargers Week 17 game in 2005, however, changed multiple franchises’ fortunes.
The Chargers gave the reins to 2004 first-rounder Philip Rivers, leading Brees to free agency. A Dolphins-Saints duel developed. Dolphins doctors not expressing confidence in Brees’ shoulder led the then-Nick Saban-coached team to bow out, and the Saints gave Brees a five-year, $60MM deal with $20MM guaranteed. He outplayed that contract and the rest of the deals he signed.
Brees lasted 15 years as the Saints’ starter. The franchise entered the Brees era with one playoff win in 39 years; the Saints now have 10 postseason victories, with the QB’s retirement marking a clear line of demarcation for the NFC South franchise.
Brees joined first-year HC Sean Payton upon signing with the Saints and guided them to the 2006 NFC championship game. That season followed a 3-13 campaign overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina. While the Saints lost to the Bears in the NFC title game, Brees earned his first and only first-team All-Pro honor. One of the best players never to win an MVP award — Tomlinson claimed the 2006 prize after scoring an NFL-record 31 touchdowns — Brees still lapped the QB field in other areas. The 13-time Pro Bowler has five 5,000-yard passing seasons. No one else has more than two.
Brees broke Dan Marino‘s single-season passing yardage record in 2008 and topped that total in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Brees broke his own single-season yardage record with 5,476 in 2011. That Saints team, which featured Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston as Brees’ top pass catchers, still holds the single-season yardage record (7,474) despite the NFL moving to a 17-game season in 2021. While Manning broke Brees’ yardage record in 2013, the New Orleans staple took down the ex-Colts and Broncos icon’s career marks later in the 2010s.
The Saints won their only Super Bowl thanks largely to Brees’ contributions. They started 13-0 in 2009 and earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Two fourth-quarter Tracy Porter interceptions helped the Saints hold off the Vikings and Colts. Brees earned Super Bowl XLIV MVP honors in the team’s 31-17 victory, completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately for Brees, a string of brutal playoff losses followed that coronation.
On the wrong side of Beastquake, a shootout loss to the 49ers the following year, the Minneapolis Miracle, and an infamous uncalled pass interference sequence that prompted the NFL try replay review for the play burned the Saints. But Brees extended his prime into his late 30s and set multiple career records.
Still holding the single-season completion percentage record (74.4% in 2018), Brees set the career touchdown pass standard with No. 540 in 2019. He had broken Manning’s career yardage record early in the 2018 season. Brady eventually caught Brees in both categories, but it took the Patriots and Buccaneers legend more time to do so.
While Rivers came out of retirement to delay his Hall of Fame case by five years, Brees’ San Diego successor was not certain to be enshrined in this class. Brees has been a first-ballot lock for a long time, playing through his age-41 season. Brees signed five Saints contracts, including a five-year, $100MM extension in 2012 and a pair of two-year, $50MM pacts (2018, 2020). His 2012 offseason helped set a precedent for franchise-tagged players, with an arbitrator ruling the Saints tagging him that year counted as his second tag (as the Chargers had tagged him in 2005). This helped protect players who changed teams, as the two-tag rule applied to a career rather than just one team.
Roger Craig, running back (1983-93)
As Bill Walsh‘s West Coast Offense was gaining steam, a former Nebraska cog became a pivotal chess piece in the Hall of Fame coach’s fifth San Francisco season. With the 49ers from 1983-90, Roger Craig shined as a dual-threat running back. Playing some fullback early in his career, Craig transitioned to the lead RB in Joe Montana‘s offense. The senior candidate became the first player to post a 1,000-1,000 season, doing so in 1985. Craig rushed for 1,050 rushing yards and accumulated 1,016 receiving yards that season. He led the NFL in receptions that year and finished with 15 touchdowns.
The 49ers drafted Craig in the 1983 second round. The team had acquired Wendell Tyler from the Rams that offseason, but both backs totaled 176 carries in ’83. Tyler led the 49ers in rushing in 1984, but Craig punctuated that season with a three-touchdown Super Bowl XIX effort. Craig totaled 135 scrimmage yards in the 49ers’ rout of the Dolphins, one that cemented San Francisco’s ’84 iteration — an 18-1 team — as being among the greatest squads in NFL history. Craig commandeered lead RB duties in 1985 and held them for the rest of the decade.
Craig earned All-Decade acclaim for his 49ers contributions. Famous for a high-knee running style, Craig produced three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and four 500-plus-yard receiving slates. He rushed for a career-high 1,502 yards — 46 of those on this gem in Anaheim — in 1988, helping the 49ers as they held extended QB battle between Montana and Steve Young. Craig then assisted Montana to MVP honors in 1989 with his third 1,000-yard year.
While Craig finished his career with stints on the Raiders (1991) and Vikings (1992-93), he is best remembered as a 49er. He finished his career with 13,100 scrimmage yards and 73 TDs. Craig joins Montana, Young, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Fred Dean and Charles Haley as Walsh-era 49ers enshrined in Canton.
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver (2004-20)
The Cardinals had already found a wide receiver gem in 2003, selecting Offensive Rookie of the Year Anquan Boldin in the second round. That came after the team chose Bryant Johnson in the 2003 first round. But Arizona did well to take the best player available a year later, nabbing Larry Fitzgerald third overall. Drafted at just 20, Fitzgerald played his entire career with the Cardinals. Like Brees, this involved a few short-term contracts. It also featured a then-record-setting wide receiver pact (seven years, $113MM) in 2011.
Fitzgerald is almost certainly the best player in the Cardinals’ 100-plus-year history. The surehanded pass catcher earned 11 Pro Bowl honors and landed on the 2010s’ All-Decade team. The three-time All-Pro did not have some of the advantages at quarterback many of his Hall of Fame peers did. The Cardinals struggled to find a reliable arm between the Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer tenures, and they missed on Josh Rosen in 2018. But Fitzgerald earned one his All-Pro honors between the Warner and Palmer years. The Palmer-Bruce Arians stretch revitalized the veteran receiver, but his career peak occurred with Warner and Ken Whisenhunt.
Although Cooper Kupp made a strong argument for best wide receiver postseason, Fitzgerald’s totals still reign supreme. The 6-foot-3 wideout’s 546 receiving yards during the 2008 playoffs lead the field by a healthy margin (Kupp’s 478 in 2021 ranks second).
Helping a 9-7 Cardinals team — one that ranked outside the top 20 in DVOA — to Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald posted four 100-yard receiving games and caught a single-playoff-record seven touchdown passes. This included three in an Arizona NFC championship win over Philadelphia and two against a menacing Pittsburgh defense. Fitzgerald’s second Super Bowl TD — a 64-yard catch-and-run — gave the Cardinals a lead late in the fourth quarter. Their defense could not hold it, and Fitz did not advance to another Super Bowl.
The Cards did reach another NFC championship game, motoring to the 2015 third round after a franchise-record 13 wins. After three straight sub-1,000-yard seasons, Fitzgerald resurfaced with 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. Playing more of a slot role under Arians, Fitzgerald made a considerable difference in the Cardinals’ divisional-round win over the Packers. After two miraculous Aaron Rodgers-to-Jeff Janis heaves forced overtime, Fitz denied the Pack a possession with a 75-yard sprint and a 5-yard shovel-pass TD.
Fitzgerald retired in second place in career receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492). Fitz is more than 100 catches north of third place all time (Tony Gonzalez) and he sits more than 1,500 yards ahead of third place on that list (Terrell Owens). A model teammate and among the most dependable players in NFL history, Fitzgerald is among a handful of wide receivers enshrined on the first ballot.
Luke Kuechly, linebacker (2012-19)
Joining Cam Newton in driving the Panthers to their highest peak, Luke Kuechly is the most decorated player in team history. The star middle linebacker finished his career with seven straight All-Pro accolades. Five of those were first-team honors, elevating Kuechly to a high place among off-ball linebackers of any era.
The Panthers chose Kuechly ninth overall out of Boston College in 2012. Despite the lofty investment in a non-rush ‘backer, Kuechly immediately rewarded the Panthers and distinguished himself as an all-around player. Viewed as a top-notch coverage LB, Kuechly led the NFL in tackles during his rookie season – en route to a Defensive Rookie of the Year runaway – and in 2014. In between, Kuechly interrupted J.J. Watt’s Defensive Player of the Year reign, claiming that honor by making 156 tackles (10 for loss) to go with four interceptions. The Panthers claimed the NFC’s No. 2 seed that season.
Although Newton’s outlier MVP season powered the Panthers to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl 50 in 2015, Kuechly gave that No. 1-ranked offense backing by leading a Sean McDermott’s defense to a sixth-place finish.
Given a then-top-market extension (five years, $61.79MM) during the 2015 offseason, Kuechly followed it up with a four-INT season that included a Derrick Brooks-like TD rate. Kuechly notched two pick-sixes during the regular season and added two more in the playoffs, taking INTs back for scores in wins over the Seahawks and Cardinals. He later sacked Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50.
Concussion trouble prompted Kuechly to end his career early. He suffered three from 2015-17, with a 2016 head injury keying a shutdown. While Kuechly did not sustain any documented concussions during his final two seasons, he retired shortly after the ’19 season – at just 28. Kuechly was on pace to be one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, and he maximized his truncated run in the NFL. Becoming one of the highest-profile athletes in any sport to cite concussions in retiring early, Kuechly joins only former Lions great Joe Schmidt as the only off-ball LBs to earn five first-team All-Pro honors by 28.
Adam Vinatieri, kicker (1996-2019)
The NFL’s all-time leading scorer, Adam Vinatieri made three of the most important field goals in league history. The 1996 Patriots UDFA played until age 47, being one of just four players – joining kickers Morten Andersen and Gary Anderson and QB/kicker George Blanda – in playing into his late 40s. Passing Andersen late during his Indianapolis stay, Vinatieri’s 2,673 points more than 700 clear of the closest active player’s total.
While Vinatieri made two Super Bowl walk-off shots to launch the Patriots’ dynasty, his most impressive make came two weeks before Super Bowl XXXVI. The South Dakota State alum drilled a 45-yarder in the final minute during a snowy divisional-round game against the Raiders. Better known for the infamous Tuck Rule decision, that game also featured a Vinatieri game-winner after his previous make forced overtime.
Vinatieri stayed with the Patriots for 10 seasons and made a key difference in the AFC’s defining rivalry of that period. After Mike Vanderjagt shanked a game-tying try to leave the Colts eliminated as the No. 1 seed in Round 2 of the 2005 playoffs, they let their longtime kicker walk in free agency and gave Vinatieri – franchise-tagged by the Patriots in 2005 – a five-year, $12MM deal. Vinatieri signed five more Colts contracts, doing so after helping the team beat the Patriots in the 2006 AFC championship game and then defeat the Bears in the rain in Super Bowl XLI.
The four-time Super Bowl winner earned three first-team All-Pro nods, the last of those coming at age 42 in 2014, and while his 83.8% connect rate sits just 39th among qualified options, kickers continue to become more accurate. No one who entered the NFL before Vinatieri ranks above him on the all-time accuracy list. The 24-year vet joins Blanda, Andersen, Lou Groza and Jan Stenerud as Hall of Fame kickers.
Here are the players, coaches and contributors among this year’s finalists contingent that were not enshrined:
- Ken Anderson, QB
- Willie Anderson, T
- Bill Belichick, coach
- Jahri Evans, G
- Frank Gore, RB
- L.C. Greenwood, DE
- Torry Holt, WR
- Robert Kraft, owner
- Eli Manning, QB
- Terrell Suggs, EDGE
- Reggie Wayne, WR
- Kevin Williams, DT
- Jason Witten, TE
- Darren Woodson, S
- Marshal Yanda, OL
Belichick will likely be enshrined in 2027, but his omission this year proved shocking. Spygate and a voting system that lumps coaches and contributors with senior candidates is believed to be behind Belichick missing out. This could lead to a change in how the Hall of Fame inducts coaches. The North Carolina HC, he of eight Super Bowl wins (two as Giants DC), did not come up for a coaching job this offseason.
Eli Manning missed out for a second year. With the induction process altered to raise the bar for Hall induction, the postseason Giants hero continues to see his spottier regular-season work keep him out of Canton. The wide receiver logjam has gripped Holt and Wayne for a bit as well. Holt has been on the ballot for over a decade, with Wayne nearing that point.
Witten, who delayed his Hall of Fame clock by two years upon unretiring in 2019, sits fourth all time in career catches but was denied first-ballot enshrinement. A semifinalist this year, Rivers stalled his clock by five after his shocking return to the Colts. Gore sits third on the all-time rushing list, but he was only a one-time All-Pro. Still, Gore’s nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons will surely generate induction down the road.
Suggs, Yanda and Willie Anderson were among the final seven candidates considered for the Hall this year, according to Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. Since tackles for loss became an official stat in 1999, Suggs is the leader with 202. The former Defensive Player of the Year will need to wait a bit longer before joining ex-Ravens teammates Ed Reed and Ray Lewis in Canton.
Ditto Yanda, an 2010s All-Decade guard who joined Reed, Lewis and Suggs on Baltimore’s Super Bowl XLVII-winning 2012 team. Willie Anderson was one of the game’s best tackles during a banner era for the position, dominating at right tackle for the Bengals and Ravens. By making the final seven, Suggs, Yanda and Willie Anderson will be automatic 2027 finalists, Gantt adds.
Bruce Arians Tried Recruiting WR Larry Fitzgerald
With the Buccaneers facing a number of absences from their receivers last season, Bruce Arians reached out to one of his former players. The former Buccaneers head coach told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke that he tried recruiting Larry Fitzgerald to Tampa Bay last season.
“I did [try to recruit him],” Arians said (h/t ArizonaSports.com). “When we lost our guys, especially when Chris Godwin got hurt, I called Fitz…He said, ‘Coach, I can only run two plays right now but thanks. I said, ‘I just had to check brother.’”
The receiver remained unsigned for the entire 2021 campaign, although he still hasn’t officially retired. He started showing his age during the 2020 campaign, finishing with career-lows in receptions (54), receiving yards (409), and receiving touchdowns (one). Of course, during the previous decade-plus, Fitzgerald was one of the most dominating offensive weapons in the NFL. He made four Pro Bowl appearances during Arians’ five seasons coaching the Cardinals. Based on the wideout’s comments to Arians, it sounds like the player has essentially called it a career.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers dealt with an inconsistent receivers grouping for much of the 2021 season. None of the QB’s top weapons joined him in appearing in all 17 games, and by the time the playoffs came around, Godwin was out with an injury and Antonio Brown had been let go. While Fitzgerald wouldn’t have come close to replicating his previous success, he could have at least provided Brady with a dependable, savvy target.
Larry Fitzgerald Not Eyeing Return For 18th Season?
With the season less than a month away, Larry Fitzgerald remains unsigned. And the future Hall of Fame wide receiver does not sound like he will join a team in the near future.
Although the 17-year veteran said his plans could change, he is content to keep his options open for the time being. For the time being, Fitzgerald has announced plans to host a Sirius XM radio show alongside Tom Brady and Jim Gray. This certainly stands to keep fans in the loop regarding the future Hall of Famer’s plans.
“For now, I’ll be a radio broadcaster. Jim, to be honest with you, I just don’t have the urge to play right now,” Fitzgerald said during an interview with Gray on Sirius XM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). “I just don’t know how I’ll feel in September, October, November moving forward, but I just, today, I just don’t have the urge.”
The Cardinals did not close the door on Fitz coming back but made multiple moves at wide receiver that would affect his return. Arizona signed A.J. Green and drafted Rondale Moore in the second round. They joined DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk on the Cards’ roster. As recently as July, Fitz said he had not made up his mind on returning. His most recent comments, however, mark the clearest sign yet retirement may be close.
Fitzgerald, who will turn 38 later this month, has taken a year-to-year approach with his career since 2016. But the latest he previously decided on returning was late January (in 2019). The NFL’s second all-time leading pass catcher has said in the past he only wanted to play for the Cardinals, but if no clear role exists for him in Arizona, the 11-time Pro Bowler might need to adjust that stance — if he is to reconsider playing again.
An injury affecting the Cards’ or perhaps another contending team’s receiving corps would naturally invite speculation about a Fitz return, but he is coming off the worst statistical season of his career. Fitz caught 54 passes for just 409 yards and one touchdown in 2020, a season in which he missed two games after contracting COVID-19.
Fitzgerald’s 1,432 receptions and 17,492 receiving yards are second only to Jerry Rice all time. No active wideout is within 500 receptions or 4,000 yards of his respective career totals. The decorated wideout will cruise to Canton, but until he announces his retirement, the prospect of him suiting up either in Arizona or with another team via in-season signing will be one of this year’s subplots.
Fitz Remains Undecided On Playing An 18th Season
With the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals, the national media has descended upon the Cardinals’ home turf. The franchise’s most famous Arizona-era player made himself available for a status update Friday but offered little on this front.
During an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols (via Pro Football Talk), Larry Fitzgerald said he has not made a decision on retiring or playing an 18th NFL season. He has been a free agent since March.
“I haven’t decided anything,” Fitzgerald said. “Training camp starts in a few weeks. I’m excited. It’s going to be another great year for the NFL.”
The future Hall of Fame wide receiver’s phrasing here is interesting, but he has yet to publicly commit either way. At the American Century Classic celebrity golf tournament Saturday, Fitzgerald added that he has stayed in shape for a possible return (h/t Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). So the door still appears to be open here.
The Cardinals may have made Fitz’s decision — at least regarding a return to the team — for him. With Fitz undecided in March and April, the Cards signed A.J. Green and drafted Rondale Moore in the second round. They will team with DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk.
Fitzgerald has taken a year-to-year approach with his career since 2016, but the latest he previously decided on returning was late January (in 2019). Going into mid-July with the same uncertain stance he had in February is not a great sign for the soon-to-be 38-year-old star’s prospects of playing in 2021. In each season since 2016, Fitzgerald has made $11MM in salary. His numbers from 2020 — 54 catches, 409 yards, one touchdown reception — and the juncture of the calendar would require him to sign for substantially less.
Although Fitzgerald has said in the past he would only play for the Cardinals, it will be interesting to see if he would entertain a return elsewhere — potentially if a contender loses a key target in training camp — now that the Cards added multiple key receiver reinforcements. Jerry Rice and fellow Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner are the only wideouts to play at least 18 seasons. Joiner played 18; Rice played 20.
The expectation around the league in April pointed to Fitz retiring, and while that would make sense, the NFL’s second-leading all-time pass catcher continues to keep fans in suspense about his choice.
Larry Fitzgerald’s Decision Won’t Impact Cardinals’ Draft Plans
The Cardinals are waiting to hear whether Larry Fitzgerald will play in 2021. But, in the interim, his retirement decision will not impact the team’s board in this week’s draft, GM Steve Keim says. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Eyeing CBs, Waddle?]
“No matter what Larry decides, it does not affect our draft plans,” Keim said (via ESPN.com). “Again, to me, you can’t have enough good players at one position. There [are] guys on a one-year contract. So, again, as far as building your team and the type of depth that you have, you can never have enough good players and, obviously, Larry Fitzgerald is a great one, so you wouldn’t say no to him either.”
The 37-year-old hasn’t tipped his hand to anyone — including Keim. Technically speaking, Fitzgerald is a free agent, but it’s believed that he’ll either return to the Cardinals or call it a career. For what it’s worth, executives “anticipate” that Fitzgerald is going to retire.
Either way, the Cardinals have to start thinking about the future of the position beyond Fitzgerald, who turns 38 in August. With that in mind, Keim anticipates that there will be five or six receivers taken in Round 1, which would leave plenty of quality options for them at No. 16 overall.
NFC West Notes: Fitzgerald, Stafford, Everett
When the Cardinals signed A.J. Green last month, all eyes turned to Larry Fitzgerald and his place on the team. Although the legendary receiver hasn’t made his intentions known just yet, it appears he’s headed in the direction of hanging up his cleats. “Execs anticipate” that Fitzgerald, who is unsigned for 2021, is going to retire, Mike Sando of The Athletic writes. This stops short of being a full-on report, but it certainly sounds like that’s the way things are trending.
With Green now in the fold alongside the returning DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk, the Cardinals’ receiving room would be pretty crowded if Fitz wanted to give it one last go. The surefire future Hall of Famer played in 13 games for Arizona last year, racking up 54 catches for 409 yards and a touchdown. It was easily the lowest output of his decorated 17-year career. We should know more soon, but unfortunately it seems likely we’ve seen the Pittsburgh product play his final down.
Here’s more from around the NFC West on a quiet Sunday afternoon:
- Matthew Stafford was banged up a lot during his last season with the Lions, and he just had a procedure to address one of those lingering injuries. The new Rams quarterback had surgery on the thumb of his throwing hand last month, a source told Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Fortunately, Rodrigue reports it was just a simple cleanup and Stafford isn’t expected to miss any real practice time. Stafford said back in February that he had partially torn the UCL in his right thumb. Despite dealing with a slew of significant health issues, he didn’t miss a start last season.
- The Seahawks signed away tight end Gerald Everett from the Rams in free agency, and it turns out a prior poaching played a large role in that. Seattle hired former Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron to be their new OC after firing Brian Schottenheimer, and Waldron played a role in delivering Everett. “Shane is a mastermind,” Everett said, via John Boyle of the team’s official site. “He’s very creative, and I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do in Seattle… When Shane went to Seattle, obviously the idea was there, it lingered in my head.” Everett was a second-round pick of Los Angeles in 2017, and although he never put up huge numbers in Rams offenses that had a lot of mouths to feed, he flashed a lot of potential. “Yes, he was a factor in my decision to come to Seattle,” Everett said of Waldron. The Seahawks gave him a one-year, $7MM deal in March.
- In case you missed it, the 49ers are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Cardinals GM: Free Agency Not Deadline For Larry Fitzgerald Decision
Larry Fitzgerald has played the past five seasons on one-year contracts, but the future Hall of Fame wide receiver had decided on a return by this point in each of those preceding offseasons.
Over the past three years, Fitzgerald decided to return in February 2018 — honoring a one-year extension he inked the previous November — and in January of 2019 and 2020. In each of the past five seasons, Fitzgerald’s going rate has been $11MM. Another such payment will be difficult to justify, given the Cardinals’ cap situation and Fitz’s performance in 2020.
But the 37-year-old wideout still appears to have a place on the 2021 team, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, should he decide he wants to play an 18th season. Fitzgerald said in February he did not have a timetable on whether he would retire or return. He was similarly mum when the topic resurfaced last week.
“I’ve said it a few times that you know he deserves that space,” Cards GM Steve Keim said. “At some point in time, I’m sure we’ll talk to him here in the near future.”
Last season, Fitzgerald fell off the consistent track he had traveled. He averaged just 7.6 yards per reception (54 catches, 409 yards, one touchdown) and missed three games. Fitz was one of many NFLers to contract COVID-19, and he experienced symptoms that sidelined him for two games. He then missed Week 17 because of a groin injury — his first injury-related absence since the 2014 season.
The Cards have DeAndre Hopkins signed to a $27.3MM-per-year pact, but he is on their 2021 cap sheet at just $12.5MM. Christian Kirk has one season remaining on his rookie contract. Arizona has $12.5MM in cap space and has younger pending free agents in Patrick Peterson, Haason Reddick and Kenyan Drake.
Even if Fitzgerald comes back, the team will still likely add at the receiver position to provide Kyler Murray more help. But a decision should be expected soon, and it will almost certainly determine if Fitzgerald heads to Canton in 2027 or 2028. He ranks second all time in receptions, with those 1,432 catches leading active active pass catchers by more than 500. Fitz’s 17,492 receiving yards are also second; that number leads active players by over 4,500 yards.
Latest On Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson
Two of the best players in Cardinals history are set for free agency in March. While the Cardinals do not have to worry about Larry Fitzgerald defecting to another team, with the future Hall of Famer indicating he would only play for the Cards, Patrick Peterson could leave after 10 seasons in Arizona.
After Michael Bidwill indicated the Cardinals would like to bring back Peterson, GM Steve Keim confirmed he has spoken with the eight-time Pro Bowler this offseason, according to the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManamon.
Keim stopped short of saying he would like to extend Peterson before he hits the market, citing the salary cap uncertainty as a key reason he did not have a clear idea of the All-Decade defender’s place with the 2021 Cardinals.
Peterson’s play over the past two years has not measured up to his Pro Bowl-level work, and he will turn 31 this year. The Cardinals, however, also have Dre Kirkpatrick set for free agency and have seen Robert Alford miss two full seasons since he signed with Arizona in 2019. The team has a considerable need at cornerback.
The Cardinals are respecting Fitzgerald’s timeline. Keim has not spoken to Fitz this offseason, per McManamon. Like he has for the past few seasons, Fitzgerald is taking time to determine whether he wants to return. The 37-year-old wideout has indicated only a championship will matter for him going forward.
Fitz saw his production tumble in 2020. Although the 17-year veteran missed three games, his 31.5 yards per game represented a career-low figure — by a wide margin. After making $11MM last year, Fitz would almost certainly need to agree to a lower-cost deal if he were to return for an 18th season. Arizona has DeAndre Hopkins signed long-term, but Christian Kirk is going into a contract year after an inconsistent three-season run.
Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald: “No Timeline” For Decision
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald still isn’t sure about his plans for 2021 and beyond. When asked at a Pro-Am tournament in Arizona, Fitzgerald stressed that he isn’t in any rush to announce his retirement or return.
“I’m just playing golf right now, that’s all I’m worried about,” Fitzgerald said. “No timeline. I’m just taking it day by day. Honestly I haven’t given it much thought.”
Speculation about Fitzgerald’s future has become something of an offseason staple. In 2017, Fitzgerald was thought to be on his farewell tour. Then, midway through the year, he inked a one-year extension worth $11MM. A few re-ups later, Fitzgerald is still going. In his age-37 season, Fitzgerald was still reasonably productive with 54 catches for 409 yards and one touchdown. The 11-time Pro Bowler has pretty much done it all, save for capturing a Super Bowl ring.
“You wouldn’t see me around here anymore if [we win the Super Bowl],” Fitzgerald said last September. “Another catch, another touchdown, another yard is not going to make more whatever – my legacy is pretty much cemented. I just want to win a championship, I want to compete for a division title. Those are the things that are important to me.”
The chase could lead him to return for his age-38 campaign but, for now, he’s keeping the focus on his family and his short game.
NFC West Rumors: Fitzgerald, Gould, Reed
Speculating about Larry Fitzgerald‘s future has become something of a holiday tradition over the past few seasons. The surefire Hall-of-Famer did say earlier this year that if the Cardinals were to win Super Bowl LV, he would ride off into the sunset, but Arizona’s hopes for its first Lombardi Trophy suffered a major blow in an upset loss to the 49ers last night.
So will Fitz be back in 2021? As Rachel Gossen of ArizonaSports.com writes, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he believes Fitzgerald could play for another four seasons, but Fitzgerald himself was noncommittal.
“I haven’t really given it much thought to be honest with you,” he said. Though Fitzgerald did add that it will be nice to have fans back in the stands when it’s safe, Kingsbury downplayed the notion that Fitzgerald would return just to receive a proper sendoff from the Cardinals’ faithful.
As we wait to see whether one of the best receivers in NFL history will call it a career, and as the Cards focus on keeping their fading playoff hopes alive, let’s round up a few more notes from the NFC West:
- The 49ers have a big decision to make on kicker Robbie Gould this week. Per the four-year extension Gould signed in 2019, San Francisco has until January 2 to pick up an option that would guarantee $2.25MM of Gould’s $4.5MM 2021 salary. Gould had hit 90.5% of his field goal attempts heading into last night’s matchup with Arizona, but he missed two FGA’s and a PAT in a 20-12 win that could have been more decisive. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the performance will not impact the team’s decision on Gould’s contract. “You got to look at the body of work, and Robbie has been unbelievable,” Shanahan said (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area).
- Claimed off waivers from the division-rival 49ers in August, Seahawks CB D.J. Reed has been a great find for Seattle. In eight games (six starts), Reed has lined up both in the slot and outside the numbers and has accumulated 49 tackles, two interceptions, and six passes defensed while yielding a modest 77.9 passer rating as the nearest defender (via NFL Next Gen stats). Though the 5-9 Reed does not fit the mold of the big-bodied specimens that Seattle generally prefers at the outside corner positions, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com thinks his presence could make the club more amenable to moving on from contract-year players Quinton Dunbar and Shaquill Griffin. Reed will be entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2021.
- As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic points out, the Rams would be about $26MM over the 2021 salary cap if the cap is decreased to $175MM as many expect. So while the club can certainly restructure the contracts of players like Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to create space, it will also have tough decisions to make on pending free agents. Rodrigue posits that, if DC Brandon Staley gets hired as a head coach, he may try to bring safety John Johnson and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd with him, though Los Angeles will doubtlessly prioritize re-ups with both players. Meanwhile, Rodrigue sees players like WR Josh Reynolds and TE Gerald Everett signing elsewhere this offseason.