Larry Fitzgerald finally broke his public silence and let us all in on his plans for 2021.
What he didn’t say is almost as important as what he did say. Larry didn’t cite a body that couldn’t physically meet the demands of an NFL season or an unwillingness to compromise his post playing days with additional trauma. He could have and we would have all understood.
Instead, he doesn’t “have the urge” to continue playing. That’s an emotional decision he’s making. Now I’m sure his physical health is a part of it but its not the reason Larry Fitzgerald himself cited.
An emotional decision invites some additional speculation.
Would Larry have an urge to play if he believed this team could win a Super Bowl? If the Cardinals were on the verge of bursting through the NFC West and NFC’s playoff wall like the Kool-Aid Man, don’t you think the urge would be there?
Let’s reverse engineer this a bit further: If the Cardinals 2020 season resulted in the exact same outcome, 8-8 and out of the playoffs, but the Cardinals won their final two games instead of losing them, don’t you think he’d have the urge to finish what they had started?
If Larry had unreal chemistry with Kyler Murray, how could you not have the urge to see that through, considering what its likely what he's sought his entire career?
If Larry believed Kliff Kingsbury could pull off what Bruce Arians couldn’t in the desert and win a championship, could wild horses keep him away from then field for his 17th season?
Urge feels defined by excitement and optimism. Now maybe Larry just doesn’t have the fire right now to play football for anyone at all. He is an unrestricted free agent who could conceivably sign with anyone to pursue whatever he might perceive the Cardinals can’t.
Maybe its that simple. Maybe its not.
Either way, for the first time ever you and me have something directly in common with one of the most unique superstars in Phoenix and NFL history:
We’re all in wait and see mode for the 2021 Arizona Cardinals.