The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday that they are retiring Larry Fitzgerald's No. 11 and adding the iconic wide receiver to their Ring of Honor in 2026.
During his 17-year career, Fitzgerald became the greatest player in Cardinals history and established himself as an all-time great at his position.
Here are the best moments of his NFL journey.
Super Bowl XLIII
Fitzgerald's greatest NFL moment took place on football's biggest stage. He almost led the Cardinals to a shocking championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers' top-ranked defense.
The 11-time Pro Bowler caught two touchdown passes in Super Bowl XLIII, including a stunning 64-yard catch-and-run score that gave Arizona a 23-20 lead with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The go-ahead touchdown was Fitzgerald's seventh TD during that playoff run, the most ever in a single postseason.
The Cardinals legend also caught seven passes for 127 yards in the Super Bowl, registering a performance for the ages that won't be forgotten despite Arizona's loss.
Super Bowl Larry Fitz made some HUGE plays for the Arizona Cardinals. 🙌
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) July 4, 2023
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/5Ccw2FmxOT
Record-breaking postseason
His historic Super Bowl XLIII was just the end of Fitzgerald's record-setting 2008 postseason. He posted at least five receptions, 100 yards, and one touchdown in all three contests leading up to the Big Game, producing the most dominant pass-catching postseason in NFL history.
| Opponent | Rec. | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 6 | 101 | 1 |
| CAR | 8 | 166 | 1 |
| PHI | 9 | 152 | 3 |
In 2008, @LarryFitzgerald had arguably the greatest postseason by a single player.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 24, 2021
In four games, he had 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/3fW0lRzuNJ
Including the Super Bowl, Fitzgerald's performances set single-postseason records for receiving yards (546) and receptions (30), though Travis Kelce and Cooper Kupp have since broken the latter mark.
Additionally, his three-touchdown game against the Philadelphia Eagles was the first time a player found the end zone three times in a conference title matchup.
More playoff magic vs. Packers
Fitzgerald posted yet another remarkable performance in what would be his last postseason win.
Arizona and Green Bay faced off in the 2016 divisional round in a game marked by Jeff Janis' Hail Mary touchdown for the Packers on the final play of regulation to force overtime. But Fitzgerald took care of business in the extra frame with a pair of clutch receptions to end Green Bay's comeback attempt.
He kicked things off by breaking multiple tackles en route to a 75-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage in OT. Moments later, he secured the game-winning TD to help Arizona reach the NFC title game again.
35. FITZ-MAGIC
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) August 1, 2019
Jan. 16, 2016
On first play of OT, Carson Palmer hits Larry Fitzgerald, who cuts, weaves and stiff-arms his way 75 yards, setting up his 5-yard flip-and-score to beat Packers in 2015 NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Factoid: How it got to OT: https://t.co/pKRLBmiu0g pic.twitter.com/pOR8bibDCd
The Cardinals ended up falling to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC title matchup, marking Fitzgerald's last playoff appearance.
No. 2 all time
Fitzgerald wasn't a highlight machine in his final NFL seasons, but he still managed to make history and put his name near the top of major receiving categories.
The former All-Pro reached 15,952 career receiving yards in 2018, passing Terrell Owens for second all-time behind only Jerry Rice. A year later, Fitzgerald placed himself at No. 2 in career receptions after topping former tight end Tony Gonzalez's 1,325 catches.
Fitzgerald led the NFL in single-season receptions and touchdowns twice. He retired with 1,432 catches for 17,492 receiving yards and 121 touchdowns, the sixth most in league history. Plus, he owns one of football's most incredible stats:
Larry Fitzgerald had more tackles (41) than dropped passes (29) in his NFL career 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fatD6zoMol
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) June 4, 2025
Walter Payton Man of the Year
Fitzgerald was also outstanding off the field.
He shared the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award with Eli Manning in 2016, an honor that recognized his excellence on the field and in the community.
The Hall of Fame receiver founded the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation, which provides resources for youth education and breast cancer support.
He's also served as the national spokesperson for the NFL's Crucial Catch campaign that supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
