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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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On Saturday, Aug. 8, legendary wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will officially be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He's part of a 2026 class that also includes 13-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLIV MVP quarterback Drew Brees, former Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly, and three-time All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl champion kicker Adam Vinatieri.
But even though Fitzgerald is going into the Hall of Fame, he has yet to officially announce his retirement. For NFL players to get inducted, they need to have spent at least five straight seasons out of the league. In February 2022, Fitzgerald said he wasn't planning on returning to the NFL, but he never officially stated that he was retiring.
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Fitzgerald explained why ahead of Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game between his former team, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Carolina Panthers.
"I have not committed to retirement," Fitzgerald said. He explained that growing up, his grandfather and a longtime friend would have conversations about retirement that stuck with him over the years. "They'd talk about retirement killing more people in our country than anything. It always stuck with me. I just don't believe in retirement. I just think you transition into different phases, especially as an athlete. I was done at 38. Retire? There is no retirement in sight. I protest the word more than the actual thing. So I just won't acknowledge that."
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Fitzgerald enters the Hall of Fame with one of the best resumes of any player in NFL history. Across 17 seasons, all with the Cardinals, he racked up 17,492 career receiving yards and 1,432 total receptions, both the second-most all-time behind only Jerry Rice. He also finished with 121 total receiving touchdowns, the sixth-most all-time.
He earned 11 Pro Bowl nods, two second-team All-Pro honors, and a first-team All-Pro selection in 2008 after posting a career-high 1,431 receiving yards and a league-leading 12 touchdowns across 16 games. He had nine 1,000-yard seasons, including four with at least 1,400 yards, and twice led the league in both receptions and receiving touchdowns.
He is, by all accounts, one of the greatest wide receivers of all time — and he'll be recognized for it officially on Saturday.
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