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Larry Fitzgerald

Veteran doesn't sound like retiring type

Those paying attention this offseason may have noticed that one foregone conclusion might not actually be foregone. Larry Fitzgerald turns 38 next month and the Cardinals signed veteran A.J. Green in free agency rather than bringing him back, but Fitzgerald never actually retired. Here we are in July, and it sounds like the Hall of Famer plans to play this season.

"Training camp starts in a few weeks," Fitzgerald said on ESPN. "I’m excited, it’s going to be another great year for the NFL.”

Fitzgerald is three years removed from his last 1,000-yard season, and last year he posted the lowest numbers of his career -- catches (54), yards (409) and touchdowns (1). He averaged a running-back like 7.6 yards per catch last year, so wherever he signs he should only be considered in PPR leagues, and even then as a very late-round option.

But he's Larry Fitzgerald, and if he does commit to playing, he'll have a market. While whatever speed or athleticism he may have once had is long gone, he's still as reliable as they come on shorter throws and in traffic. He'll still catch everything thrown his way, and those guys will find NFL jobs.

Over the last two seasons, he's had 130 catchable passes thrown his way. He'd dropped just one of them. That's tops among all wideouts with at least 100 catchable targets the last two seasons.

WIDE RECEIVER DROPS, 2019-2020 (100 TARGETS)
PlayerTgtRecDropPct
Larry Fitzgerald13012910.8%
Sterling Shepard12512321.6%
Chris Godwin15515142.6%
DeAndre Hopkins22521962.7%
Michael Thomas19618973.6%
Danny Amendola11210843.6%
Emmanuel Sanders13212753.8%
Davante Adams20619883.9%
Tyler Boyd17616974.0%
Robert Woods18818084.3%
Julio Jones15715074.5%
Amari Cooper17917184.5%
DJ Chark13212664.5%
Terry McLaurin15214574.6%
Cooper Kupp19518694.6%
Brandin Cooks12912364.7%
Keenan Allen214204104.7%
Allen Robinson210200104.8%
Christian Kirk12211664.9%
Cole Beasley15714985.1%
Tyler Lockett192182105.2%
Tyreek Hill15314585.2%
Hunter Renfrow11110565.4%
A.J. Brown12912275.4%
JuJu Smith-Schuster14713985.4%
Russell Gage12812175.5%
Marvin Jones14613885.5%
Calvin Ridley16215395.6%
T.Y. Hilton10710165.6%
Corey Davis11510876.1%
John Brown11210576.3%
Robby Anderson157147106.4%
Anthony Miller10810176.5%
Jarvis Landry166155116.6%
D.J. Moore164153116.7%
Mike Williams1049776.7%
Stefon Diggs204190146.9%
Adam Thielen11210487.1%
Marquise Brown11210487.1%
Will Fuller11010287.3%
Jamison Crowder148137117.4%
Mike Evans148137117.4%
Darius Slayton1069887.5%
Odell Beckham Jr.1059787.6%
Randall Cobb1019387.9%
DeVante Parker147135128.2%
Curtis Samuel143131128.4%
D.K. Metcalf156141159.6%
Diontae Johnson1661471911.4%
Julian Edelman1371211611.7%
Deebo Samuel102901211.8%
Michael Gallup1421251712.0%

Merely being efficient and a Hall of Famer doesn't automatically ensure fantasy value. Most likely his best-case scenario is signing as a No. 3 somewhere, and it's not certain which team has a veteran need. For him to really generate interest, it will need to be with a good quarterback on a team that seems to have an iffy depth chart at wide receiver. Green Bay, Las Vegas...Kansas City?

You're probably not going to win a fantasy league with a 38-year-old wideout, but I'm not ruling out him making an impact somewhere. And it'd be nice to see one of the all-time greats involved in another playoff run.

--Andy Richardson

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