Larry Fitzgerald is regarded as one of the greatest players in Cardinals history. Selected third overall in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, Fitz played 17 years in the league, all with one club. Point out another player in the NFL who suited up every snap for a single team.
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This year, he became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame located in Canton, Ohio. He was projected to become a first ballot inductee, and now, he has
hurdled another step and is closer to that goal.
On Monday, Fitzgerald made it to the semifinal stage in his first year of eligibility.
The list has now been whittled to 26 athletes in what is called “modern era candidates.” The advancement was conducted by a 50-member selection committee for the Class of 2026.
Along with Fitzgerald, four others were also advanced: TE Jason Witten, RB Frank Gore, and QBs Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers. Both Fitz and Brees are considered the top candidates and assumed as the most likely to be inducted this year.
These five join the other candidates: QB Eli Manning, RB Fred Taylor, WRs Torry Holt, Steve Smith, Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, OTs Willie Anderson, Lomas Brown, and Richmond Webb, C Steve Wisniewski, OGs Jahri Evans and Marshal Yanda, DE Robert Mathis, DTs Vince Wilfork and Kevin Williams, LBs Terrell Suggs and Luke Kuechly, CB Darren Woodson, S Rodney Harrison and Earl Thomas, and K Adam Vinatieri.
This list of 26 will be pared down to 15 in February of 2026. There will also be in consideration three seniors, one coach, and one contributor in a class that will be between four and eight new inductees. Last year, only four were selected. This is the second year of this new current format.
Fitzgerald’s 1,432 catches and 17,492 yards receiving rank #2, only behind Jerry Rice. He had 9 seasons of 1,000+ yards, tied for fourth-most ever.
For his career, Fitz played in 263 NFL games with 261 starts, 2.335 targets, 1,432 receptions, 17,492 yards, a 12.2 yards per catch average, 906 first down conversions, 733 YAC, and scored 121 touchdowns. He also had 20 rushes for 65 yards.
He was a main instrument in the Cardinals’ run to Super Bowl XLIII in the 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was only the franchise’s fourth time in the league championship game, winning twice (1925, 1947). Fitzgerald set single-season records that postseason with 546 yards receiving and seven TD catches, including a go-ahead 64-yard score with 2:37 to play before the Steelers rallied for the win.
Fitzgerald grew up a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings under head coach Dennie Green. Ironically, Green was Fitzgerald’s coach as a rookie and remained with Arizona until 2006.
His NFL accolades are like a book: 11 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro (2008), Second Team All-Pro (2009, 2011), NFL receptions leaders (2005, 2016), NFL receiving touchdowns leader (2008, 2009), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, 2014 Art Rooney Award, and the 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Fitzgerald’s University of Pittsburgh college honors include: Unanimous All-American, Big East Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big East, NCAA receiving yards leader, NCAA receiving touchdowns leader, Biletnikoff Award, Walter Camp Award, Chic Harley Award, Paul Warfield Trophy, University of Pittsburgh jersey retired (#1), and was named First Team All-Time All-American in 2025.
