Andy Reid, Tom Brady Tried Luring Larry Fitzgerald out of Retirement
TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals are gearing up for their season opener against the Washington Commanders and will be taking the field without some notable names as the organization looks to begin their rebuild. Players such as J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins are just a few players that departed the team this offseason.
Yet no man has left a sizable gap quite like Larry Fitzgerald, who last played for Arizona in 2020 before quietly stepping away from the team rather than officially stating his retirement.
Fitzgerald hasn't shown any desire to return to the game of football after playing for nearly two decades and accomplishing practically everything but winning a Super Bowl (which he nearly did vs. Pittsburgh).
That hasn't stopped recruitment.
Cardinals fans and even former players have jokingly asked for Fitzgerald to touch the field one last time, though some of the game's greats even admitted to doing the same.
On the "Let's Go!" podcast, Tom Brady and Andy Reid both said they tried to get Fitzgerald out of retirement.
"I've tried to hire Larry fifteen different times," said Reid. "I begged him even when he was out a year to come back. Come on!"
Brady also chimed in by saying, "That makes two of us. I tried to recruit Larry many times and he kept shooting me down. Most guys get excited, Fitz says, 'No, I'm pretty good here.' I said wait a minute, hold on. We gotta get you in some big games, and he said 'No, I'm pretty happy with where I'm at.' I think he made a good decision."
Reid concluded with, "He's the mayor there, he owns the place!"
Nobody would have blamed Fitzgerald for joining forces with either side, considering the success both Brady and Reid displayed through their respective paths.
The loyalty Fitzgerald displayed to the Cardinals organization is still loved to this day by former players and fans alike. Fitzgerald will undoubtedly go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with just one team through his illustrious career, and everybody in the state of Arizona will be happy to celebrate him.
