Larry Fitzgerald To Remain a Cardinal with New Deal
The Arizona Cardinals and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald today came to an agreement that will keep the veteran in Arizona. The two-year agreement appears to be beneficial to both parties, guaranteeing Fitzgerald $11 million per year while also freeing up an estimated $13 million in cap space for the franchise.
The talented wideout’s initial deal ran through the 2018 season and was set to pay him a monstrous, albeit non-guaranteed, total of $16.5 million next season while counting a whopping $23.6 million against the 2015 salary cap.
Fitzgerald’s cooperation with the franchise has settled one of the juiciest free agency questions of this offseason. Many fans and experts alike predicted that the Cardinals would sever ties with their most beloved star, citing age, cash and a dip in productivity as the determining factors. The predictions were not irrational, but may have been in part founded on an expectation that Fitz would not be willing to adjust his contract in such an extreme manner.
By the end of this new deal, Fitzgerald will be 34, and will have every right to call it a career following a decorated and enviable tenure carved out entirely in Glendale. There’s no telling how much the man will have in his tank by then, but a last hurrah to end the twilight of his career with a contender does not sound too outrageous just yet.
As far as the immediate future goes, the Cardinals should be incredibly relieved to have him back. The team that couldn’t keep a single quarterback upright in 2014 desperately needs continuity in a new season filled with questions and concerns.
Will Carson Palmer remain healthy enough to make a genuine playoff run? Will the defense again step up to the challenge of saving the day once a week? Can sparkplug receiver John Brown become more than just a deep threat? How will Bruce Arians work his supercoach magic? With an impending season full of doubts, Cardinals fans should find it reassuring that their biggest issue has been settled so amicably.
