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Arizona Cardinals receiver and former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald will return to the Cardinals in 2020 and play a 17th season in the NFL, as he signed a one-year contract with the team, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The value of the contract was not disclosed, but Fitzgerald has earned $11 million every year since 2016.
This season was among the most fun of my career. The future is so bright for this team & I relish the opportunity to build with this talented young nucleus.
— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) January 15, 2020
Arizona is where I started and where I will finish. 2020! Let's get to work!#GoCards #RedSea @AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/ftNd85iFRj
The 36-year-old receiver entered the league as a first-round draft pick in 2004 and has since logged nine seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards as well as five seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. He currently ranks second in all-time receiving yards and receptions, with 17,083 and 1,378, respectively. The only player ahead of him in those categories is former San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice.
In addition, Fitzgerald ranks sixth in NFL history in touchdown receptions, with 120 over the span of his career. Former Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison currently sits in fifth place, with 128. And ahead of Harrison is Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter, a receiver Fitzgerald idolized in his youth, with 130.
Fitzgerald is already a presumed first-ballot Hall of Famer, and the level of respect he has attained in the league is reflected in the fact that he was the only active player included in the recent NFL 100 all-time team. Given, his lengthy tenure in the league, his potential retirement has been discussed on an annual basis after every season for the past several years. However, as the Cardinals’ leading receiver every season since 2014, Fitzgerald has shown no signs of slowing down.