Larry Fitzgerald is 3rd player to ever go 200 straight games with a reception

On Sunday, Larry Fitzgerald hauled in a 15-yard catch in the second quarter of the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn’t anything special on the field — the 1,152nd reception in a long career — but it landed him among some elite company.

With his catch against the Eagles, Fitzgerald became just the third person in NFL history to have a reception in 200 straight games. Unlike the other two, Fitzgerald did it all with the same team. Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice went 274 straight games with a catch for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. Tight end Tony Gonzalez’s streak lasted 211 games during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.

Fitzgerald has proven to be as dangerous as ever in his 14th season in the league. He roasted the Cowboys in Week 3 with a 13-catch, 149-yard, one touchdown performance. He followed that up with a game-winning score in Arizona’s win over the 49ers.

But the Cardinals have failed to surround him with the tools they need to get Fitzgerald to the playoffs, let alone back to the Super Bowl. Arizona is 2-2 to begin the season, but its victories came against two teams, the Colts and 49ers, with one combined win between them. With the storied wideout’s career long in the tooth, his franchise isn’t doing enough to ensure he’ll get one final shot at a Super Bowl ring.

Fitzgerald has never been one to complain, however. All he does is work, week in and week out, to make the Cardinals’ offense better. On Sunday, he accomplished a feat that Hall-of-Famers like Marvin Harrison, Tim Brown, and Art Monk never did. Fitzgerald will join them in Canton some day, but he’s still got more work to do on the field first.