The Arizona Cardinals haven’t had a lot of franchise players in recent years which is likely why it took them so long to get good. But when Larry Fitzgerald came to town, things changed and the Cardinals were given perhaps their most beloved franchise player int he history of the team.
One thing franchise players do is stick around and sacrifice for the good of the team and that’s what Fitzgerald appears ready to do. Speaking about his contract situation with the Cardinals, Fitzgerald said that if he needs to restructure, that’s what he’s going to do.
.@LarryFitzgerald on restructuring: "Absolutely. If that's what needs to be done, that's what needs to be done." Hear the interview at 2:30
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) January 30, 2014
Fitzgerald isn’t sacrificing as much as you’d think, as the Cardinals need is a pay-cut from Fitzgerald, not a restricting of his deal. Arizona is looking to put off paying Fitzgerald until further down the line, as the wide receiver is set to count for $18 million against the cap this offseason.
This is a sticky situation that could get very messy, very quickly. Fitzgerald is not going to budge on taking a pay-cut which means the Cardinals are in a bit of bind when it comes to building for the future this offseason.