Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald Haven’t Discussed Extension

Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald is scheduled to become a free agent next spring, but Arizona has yet to discuss an extension with the franchise icon, as general manager Steve Keim explained on 98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station on Friday (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

“We don’t get into that with Larry at this point and time,” Keim said. “It’s no different than the last couple of years. We will give him that grace period to sort of reflect and see how his body feels like a lot of the vets do. Those are the conversations that will come after the season.”

Fitzgerald, of course, has flirted with retirement in recent years, and that dalliance will likely take place again this offseason. It seems incredibly unlikely that Fitzgerald — who would be entering his age-36 campaign in 2019 — would have interest in leaving the Cardinals, as he’s expressed on multiple occasions that he’s only willing to play in Arizona.

Although Fitzgerald may be open to extending his career beyond 2018, it’s unknown if he’s angling for a multi-year contract. Last November, Fitzgerald agreed to a one-year, $11MM extension that took him through the 2018 campaign. However, with the Cardinals possibly in line for major structural changes — both Keim and head coach Steve Wilks could lose their jobs in the coming weeks — it stands to reason Fitzgerald could take his time deciding on his future.

While Fitzgerald’s numbers (59 receptions, 645 yards, five touchdowns) have fallen off this season, it’s tough to lay blame at his feet, as the Cardinals easily boast the league’s worst offensive unit and quarterback play. In terms of all-time NFL records, Fitzgerald isn’t going to pass Jerry Rice in terms of receiving yardage, but he should overtake Tony Gonzalez for second in receptions if he plays in 2019.