NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history

Arizona Cardinals – Larry Fitzgerald

For the duration of his NFL career, Larry Fitzgerald has been underrated. It certainly helps his case for being Arizona’s best player that the Cardinals haven’t exactly been blessed with a number of Hall of Fame-level players over the years. Nevertheless, Fitzgerald’s body of work is worthy of a bust in Canton, even if the casual fan may not realize just how good he has been since entering the league out of Pittsburgh in 2004.

Fitzgerald, who is still going strong at the age of 31, already ranks among the top 20 players in receptions (909) and receiving touchdowns (89). In addition, he has six seasons with 1,000 yards or more on his profile. Considering that much of his career has come with below-average quarterback play, that is certainly impressive.

The 2008 playoffs represent arguably the biggest feather in Fitzgerald’s cap, when he went off for 546 yards and seven touchdowns over four games while leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. That, of course, coincided with Kurt Warner at the quarterback position, and it is mind-blowing to consider the type of numbers that Larry Fitzgerald would have posted with that sort of competency under center for the body of his career.

The Cardinals may not have a ton of Hall of Fame players vying for this title, but Larry Fitzgerald would be a worthy choice regardless of Arizona’s relative futility.

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