Larry Fitzgerald climbs to second in all-time receiving yards

Former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald has had an illustrious career as a wide receiver with the Arizona Cardinals, and over the weekend, he reached a milestone that will help solidify his legacy.

After racking up 50 yards on six receptions in the Cardinals’ 24-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Fitzgerald has passed Terrell Owens on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list, taking possession of the No. 2 spot. Over 15 seasons in the league, Fitzgerald has amassed 15,952 yards, topping Owens’ 16-season total of 15,934. He now ranks second only to Jerry Rice, who gained 22,895 yards over a 20-year career. Both Owens and Rice are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, while this watershed moment in Fitzgerald’s career will play a significant role in how he’s remembered, it wasn’t weighing on his mind much after his team’s loss on Sunday.

“I’m not really thinking about it,” Fitzgerald said after the game. “This is something I’ll think about when I’m done playing. I can look back and reflect on it at a later time, but today is not the day.”

Fitzgerald’s reservations with talking about his personal achievements are likely rooted in the fact that the Cardinals are struggling mightily this season. In fact, at 2-7 on the year, the Cardinals are in the midst of their worst nine-game stretch to open a season since 2006, when they played to a 1-8 record between Weeks 1 and 10 of that season.

But no matter how the Cardinals fare in 2018, Fitzgerald’s reputation will emerge untarnished, as enshrinement assuredly awaits him once his career comes to a close.