The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

■ MORE: Cardinals’ Fitzgerald still noncommitt­al on future,

Venerable receiver could be playing his final game Sunday.

- By Bob Baum

TEMPE, ARIZ. — Larry Fitzgerald might well be the most popular athlete in Arizona.

The wide receiver’s resume is packed with Hall of Fame-caliber statistics accumulate­d over 14 seasons with the Cardinals team that drafted him third overall in 2004. Add to that his easy-going personalit­y combined with a remarkable durability — he’s missed six games of his 224 since joining the league — and off-the-field contributi­ons.

A year ago, Fitzgerald and the Giants’ Eli Manning shared the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

And impressive­ly, at 34, he’s still playing at a high level, all while staying mum on whether he will return for another season.

Last week, he said he would take some time off when the season ends to figure it out.

His uncertaint­y matches big questions with other Cardinals, including whether coach Bruce Arians will stick around for a sixth season, and whether quarterbac­k Carson Palmer will be back with a mended broken arm at 38.

Fitzgerald found it pointless to speculate.

“What happens after Sunday moving forward, none of us can control that on Thursday,” he said. “We just need to focus on the things that we can control.”

He resisted talking about what might happen to the organizati­on once the season ends.

“I just try to stay in the moment. I said it on Sunday, just trying to stay in the moment all the time and get yourself ready to play.”

Fans would argue Fitzgerald’s impending decision is a very big deal.

No. 11 jerseys far outnumber any other when Arizona’s “Red Sea” of fans gathers at University of Phoenix Stadium. When he caught a TD pass to cap a big day last Sunday against the Giants, the crowd chanted “Lar-ry, Lar-ry, Lar-ry!”

Fitzgerald has shattered nearly every franchise receiving record and has caught a pass in 210 consecutiv­e games, third longest in NFL history. He ranks third alltime (behind Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens) in yards receiving and third (behind Rice and Tony Gonzalez) in receptions.

He has had 17 quarterbac­ks complete a pass to him for a franchise that has often lacked stability let alone excellence at the position, except for his time with Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and Palmer.

Fitzgerald enters Saturday’s season finale tied with Antonio Brown (now injured) with 101 receptions, two fewer than league leader Jarvis Landry. Fitzgerald has 1,101 yards receiving — the ninth, and third straight, time he has topped 1,000 yards in a season.

He’s been selected to the Pro Bowl for the 11th time.

He led the league last year with 107 receptions and had a career-best 109 in 2015.

“Pretty much the norm,” Arians said. “He comes in great shape, he catches a hundred passes and gains a thousand yards.”

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