Larry Fitzgerald will continue his career with the Arizona Cardinals. The eight-time Pro Bowl receiver has agreed to a new two-year deal with the team, Cardinals GM Steve Keim confirmed Wednesday. Although Keim did not offer any details of the contract, Fitzgerald will reportedly earn $11 million per season, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The deal also frees up $13 million in cap space for the team.
Larry Fitzgerald agrees to new deal with Cardinals
The deal creates $13 million in cap space for Arizona.
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Praising Fitzgerald’s leadership and talent, Keim also added that the veteran’s popularity with the fan base only aided in his attempts to work out a new deal.
“I took my daughter to school, met a friend of hers then he quickly noted that my daughter’s favorite player was Larry Fitzgerald and he wasn’t going to be here next year.”
Fitzgerald, who turns 32 in August, signed a seven-year, $113 million contract extension in 2011 that carried a cap hit of $23.6 million this year, and led to speculation that he would be released by the team to clear cap room. The new contract with the Cardinals will give the team some breathing room.
In 2014, Fitzgerald totaled just 784 receiving yards, the lowest total since his rookie year, and just two touchdowns, a career low. Arizona also had three different starting quarterbacks last year, finishing the season and making an appearance in the wild card round with third-stringer Ryan Lindley under center. It was also the first season since 2007 that Fitzgerald was forced to miss time due to injury after 110 consecutive starts.
Team president Michael Bidwill sounded hopeful last month about getting a new deal worked out with the team’s all-time leading receiver. Bidwill had a different tone in his last missive on the subject, telling a Phoenix radio station last week that “it takes two to come to an agreement.”
Arians said in January that he “desperately” wants Fitzgerald to stick around this year.
The Cardinals drafted Fitzgerald with the third overall pick in the 2004 draft, and he’s spent his entire career with the team. He owns franchise records for receiving yards (12,151) and touchdowns (89). He ranks 21st on the NFL’s leaderboard for career receiving yards.
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