Cardinals’ Kingsbury to Fitzgerald: ‘Please come back’
Exit Day was kind of odd Monday at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe.
It wasn’t like two years ago, when coach Bruce Arians walked away. Or last year, when coach Steve Wilks got his walking papers.
This year felt more like a beginning than an ending.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury is coming back. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is coming back.
There are no questions about whether to draft a franchise quarterback in the first round.
The only real mystery heading into the off-season is whether Larry Fitzgerald plans to return for his 17th season with the franchise.
“Please come back,” Kingsbury said.
Kingsbury was straightforward with his assessment of what Fitzgerald brings.
“I think he’s playing as good as anybody, honestly,” he said.
The statistics bear that out. Fitzgerald led the team in catches (75), receiving yards (804) and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (4).
But it’s more than measurables. “If you watch what he does week in and week out,” Kingsbury said, “the little things, the blocking and the tough
ness that he brings to the offensive side of the football … He’s still creating separation. He does it all.”
‘He’s the best’
From here, there shouldn’t be a question for general manager Steve Keim and team president Michael Bidwill.
They need to do what’s necessary to keep Fitzgerald around.
Fitzgerald should be key to a strategy of growing a team-first locker room culture filled with good energy and maturity.
It’s essential.
Consider how many new players could join the team between now and training camp.
The Cardinals will have plenty of salary cap space.
New guys will arrive through typical NFL attrition and roster churn.
And barring additional trades, Arizona will have seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
It’s easy to imagine a scenario where nearly a third of next year’s 53-man roster will be new faces joining a relatively young group.
From Kyler Murray and Christian Kirk to Mason Cole and Andy Isabella, the Cardinals have a glut of players who would benefit from a strong presence of established leaders to help set and enforce standards for newcomers.
Center A.Q. Shipley, another rocksolid veteran the front office would be wise to retain, explained the value of Fitzgerald’s intangibles.
“He’s incredible,” Shipley said. “He’s the best player, he’s the best person, he’s the best teammate that I’ve ever played with.
“He’s an unbelievable leader to the young guys – on and off the field.
“He’s always trying to preach financial advice or whatever it may be to just kinda help those young guys – who’ve never really been through it – along.”
‘The ultimate example’
But there’s more than that.
“It’s the things that not everybody sees,” Shipley said.
“It’s Week 17 this past week. We practiced outside in the rain on Friday. They throw a deep kinda crossing route to him, and he lays out, dives, in the rain. Week 17. No pads on. … He’s the ultimate example to the young guys. This is how you practice. This is how you show up.”
Fitzgerald wasn’t around to speak with reporters Monday.
He always says the same things when retirement talk comes up. He reminds us that he takes things a day at a time. He says that when he’s ready to retire, he’ll let us know.
He also makes it clear that he wants to have a full life after football.
Fans and observers have talked about what might be next.
A career in business? Charity work? Politics?
There are other questions. Doesn’t Fitzgerald have as much or more to contribute to society as he does to the Arizona Cardinals?
Wouldn’t another year limit the type of impact and good that he could do? And what about the risk of injury? Shouldn’t Fitzgerald choose to walk away before he no longer has a choice? All valid questions. Tackling the easiest first, injuries are a part of the game. Anyone who decides the risk is no longer worth it should be respected. There won’t be an opinion on that factor here.
As for the rest of it, Fitzgerald is proof that there’s no need for athletes to “stick to sports.”
He donates his money and time to charity, and his example inspires countless young people and adults each Sunday.
Few in society are more visible than pro athletes.
He’s using his visibility to bring people together, to show that older employees have value in the workforce, to show that how you do things matters as much as the things you do and to remind everyone that oldschool values like humility and frugality and joy still have a place in our world.
We need as much of that as we can get these days.
Exit Day didn’t feel like an ending for the Cardinals this season.
Here’s hoping this season wasn’t the ending for Larry Fitzgerald, either.