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azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Dan Bickley break down the Cardinals' victory over the Titans on Sunday. Johanna Huckeba/azcentral sports
Kent and Bob discuss injuries, matchups and the Cardinals' record under a closed University of Phoenix Stadium roof Kent Somers/azcentral sports
azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Bob McManaman break down the action from Arizona Cardinals headquarters on Thursday. By Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports
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azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Bob McManaman report on the Arizona Cardinals from the team's practice facility on Monday.
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Kent Somers of azcentral sports talks about the great year Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones is having. Somers spoke with defensive coordinator James Bettcher after practice in Tempe, Thurs, November 30, 2017. Tom Tingle/azcentral.com
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All season long, Larry Fitzgerald has used humility to deflect questions about the future: What if it’s your last season? How significant was that last milestone? How does it feel to be in the company of legends?
And after leading the Cardinals to a 23-0 win over the New York Giants with nine catches for 119 yards in Arizona’s last home game of the season Sunday, he had to do it yet again.
Did it ever enter his mind that this could be his last game here?
“No. I don’t like to get into that type of thinking because it’s a lot bigger than me,” he said.
“It’s the Arizona Cardinals. There’s a bunch of guys on this team, and I need to be fully engaged in what I’m doing. It’s not about that. That’s how I’ve always approached it since I played little-league football. I always just stay in the moment. Always.”
It would be so much easier if this were a Christmas movie. Fitzgerald, a 14-year veteran who on Sunday became the oldest player to catch 100 passes and gain 1,000 yards in a season, would say, to some teammate or sportswriter, that he was thinking about hanging up his cleats.
At that point, a spirit would whoosh in and whisk him away so he could see how much he means to everybody.
Look, there’s Drew Stanton with no one to throw to!
In the first half, Fitzgerald had eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. The rest of the team had seven for 63, and no one else found the end zone.
There’s Patrick Peterson with no one to pal around with!
Fitz and Peterson have been close since the perennial All-Pro defensive back came to town in 2011. They take turns giving each other a hard time. It’s good-natured and based on respect, but Peterson didn’t dish out any of that Sunday.
“He’ll be back,” Peterson said. “He doesn’t look like he’s slowing down … I mean, the guy is remarkable.”
And there’s Jaron Brown without a $500,000 bonus!
For all his career accomplishments, Fitzgerald had never completed a pass. But in the second quarter against the Giants, he sprinted behind quarterback Drew Stanton and caught a pitch. He rolled right and fired a bullet to Brown for 21 yards.
“I’m glad I was able to complete it to who I was able to complete it to,” said Fitzgerald, famous for knowing his teammates contract incentives. “I love Jaron, and he had two catches and made an extra $500,000, so I’m happy for him and glad I could be a part of that.”
See, Larry! You’ve just got to come back! If the thought of what the Cardinals offense would have looked like without you didn’t work, just listen to your teammates.
If this was Fitzgerald’s last home game, Elijhaa Penny said, “I hope everybody would cherish it and just cherish the moment and just cherish the good times we had with him.”
But there’s no way Fitzgerald should shut it down after the season, he has “too much in the tank, I think he could play like three or five more years if he wanted to.”
And if it were up to Penny to talk Fitzgerald into staying, he’d keep it simple.
“Why so soon?” he’d ask.
And then there’s John Brown. If this were Fitzgerald’s last home game, “it’d be a heartbreaker.”
Brown knows how to keep Fitzgerald on the field: “Tell him it’s payday.”
Stanton has some thoughts.
“He’s a huge asset,” Stanton said after improving to 8-4 as a starter. “It speaks for itself if you look at his career. A first ballot Hall of Famer guaranteed.”
The quarterback joked “he’s coming for my job, probably … His passer rating is way better than mine.”
He has no idea whether Fitzgerald is coming back next season.
“I don’t know. That’s way above my pay grade.”
But he hopes Fitzgerald returns: “If I’m here, yes, of course.”
Coach Bruce Arians, who won his 49th game and tied Ken Whisenhunt for the most wins in franchise history, was asked whether this were the best way for Fitzgerald to go out if it is his last home game.
“You’re going to have to ask him,” Arians said. “I don’t get into all that ‘last home game’ stuff … but, yes.”
Merry Christmas, Fitz. Thanks for saying and doing all the right things.
Don’t retire!
CARDINALS REPORT CARD: Defense wins the day
CARDINALS STAR WATCH: Larry Fitzgerald lifts Drew Stanton, Arizona to win
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or (602) 444-2236. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/WritingMoore.
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