Larry Fitzgerald guaranteed $11 million per year over next two years

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As PFT reported earlier, the Cardinals have gained nearly $13 million in cap space thanks to a new deal with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, guaranteeing that one of the franchise’s icons will remain in the fold after months of uncertainty because of Fitzgerald’s salary and cap hit for the 2015 season.

PFT has learned a bit more about the deal via a league source. Fitzgerald’s old deal ran through the 2018 season and was set to pay him a non-guaranteed $16.5 million in 2015 while counting $23.6 million against the cap. He was also set to make a non-guaranteed $15 million salary

That deal has been replaced by one that guarantees Fitzgerald $11 million per year over the next two seasons.

Fitzgerald will be 34 when those guarantees are played out, which will leave him close to the end of a long and accomplished career in the desert. Whether it continues beyond that point will be a question for another offseason, but the Cardinals have put an exclamation point on one of this year’s biggest contractual question marks.

71 responses to “Larry Fitzgerald guaranteed $11 million per year over next two years

  1. Happy for Larry and even happier for the Vikings. Lots of speculation about Larry ” Coming Home” to MN . With his price tag, age and declining speed it is not a good fit. I was fairly confident Zimmer and Spielman were going to pass on trying for Fitz. The Vikings are a young ,upcoming team and need to build young talent to make a run for the next several years.

  2. Nothing but great things to say about this guy. Love the fact that he went to my school also [University of Pittsburgh].

    11 million might be a bit high, I thought more in the range of 8-9 per year. However, for what he does off and on the field I can see why the Cardinals paid him such.

  3. Good for him — great player, better person. I sincerely hope he gets a ring and retires a Cardinal. Still can’t believe how the refs stole one from him and gave it to the Steelers.

  4. Give credit to his agent for putting Arizona in a box (couldn’t release or trade him due to cap implications). Forced Arizona into a terrible deal.

  5. What would the cap hit have been if they would have just cut him? He was a great player but he isn’t worth $22 million guaranteed. They would have been better off drafting a wide receiver in the second round and grooming him for the future. The production just isn’t there anymore.

  6. And the Packers were wishing for him. And the Packers think Rodgers made receivers better. What about Charles Johnson? Rodgers surely didn’t make him any better than Bridgewater. This is why clowns in WI need to stay in school.

  7. Why dont they just trade him now since this deal seems team friendly for all of nfl
    Cards are not going anywhere with palmer
    Maybe trade him for top 5 pick

  8. Classsy move on the Cardinals part. Arguably their best player ever, and most popular. He gets to spend his entire career with the team.

    However, it is a horrible business decision. HE isn’t worth remotely that much anymore. Paying him this much means so many other needs the team has will go unanswered. His skills have eroded to a huge extent.

  9. It’s like the Cardinals coaching staff never bothered to watch hi play the last few years. He is obviously declining and can no longer get separation.

    The dude is done, gang. He’s toast. He’s giving you Miles Austin/Jericho Cotchery production and you’re paying him like Antonio Brown/Jordy Nelson.

  10. How does Fitzgerald’s new contract alter the Franchise Tag value for a WR? And how will this impact the Cowboys application of said tag on Dez Bryant?

  11. Going down as a franchise GOAT never got anybody into the Hall and Fitz may have just sealed his fate by staying in Arizona. Would have loved to see him go with a team of like minded professionals and with an organization committed to the win. Once again Fitz has shown Cardinal fans his loyalty to the team–to bad Arizona lacks the same class and loyalty to him. Hope Arians/Keim enjoy their raises…courtesy of Larry Fitzgerald!

  12. He would have been a 1000 yard receiver if Palmer wouldn’t have been hurt. Not to mention he outran everyone in the Eagles’ secondary on an 81 yard touchdown. Some of these comments are ridiculous. I guarantee that most of these people didn’t watch a single game.

  13. Larry Fitz is like that bad girlfriend from college that you were crazy about. You know it’s not healthy. You know it’s going nowhere. But you can’t seem to help yourself.

  14. I LOVE how all these guys say the Cardinals are going nowhere with Palmer at QB. Maybe you should look at the Cardinals record WITH him and then compare it to their record when they didn’t have him. Palmer just got into a rhythm with this Offense last year. He was more in tune with his receivers this year before his injury. Maybe I should say, “before the decision of the TEAM to injury”. Palmer’s never had a good team around him until he got to PHX. I’m not ready to write him off at all. Yes he’s old, but he’s got another year or two to see how Logan Thomas matures under Bruce Arians. He’s WAY ahead of schedule in his rehab and should be ready for training camp according to all accounts I’ve read.

  15. Yes, he is overpaid still based simply on his on-field production. But billionaire businessmen know the NFL isn’t just about wins and losses, unless the wins and losses are in dollars and cents.

    A good signing for the Cards and Fitz.

  16. Not a Cardinals fan…but this is awesome for him, the team & the NFL as a whole. It’s great to see such a good guy do all the right things for an entire career. What a great role model!

  17. The Cardinals as a football team gain nothing from having a fading star “finish his career” with the team. The Cardinals as a business gain something, although it’s less tangible.

    Anyone who watched the Cards play last year knows Larry can no longer get separation the way he once did. They are paying a third receiver like a star. This will not help them one bit on the field.

    They need a long-term answer at QB, a sturdy RB, and to replace quite a few guys on D. This hurts their effort to get those guys – guys who will play a lot longer than two years. SMH

  18. There isn’t a wide reciever in the NFL worth 11 million. 10 a year max at that position if you want to compliment the team with something other than a 35 year old, who in all practicalities is over the hill.

  19. This is how it’s done and this is why the Cards on the rise. Their GM isn’t an idiot.

    For those pulling out the cliche “he deserves a ring” nonsense….please. He is owed nothing from the Cardinals other than a paycheck.

    Just because he’s a great player he “deserves” a ring? LOL. One of the dumbest fan perspectives ever.

  20. Wow…since when did ‘rings’ define wide receivers’ careers? If y’all are so smart, please tell him where he should sign to find a championship that falls in his lap?

    In other words, who’s winning the Super Bowl next year? I bet you’re wrong.

    Quit being stupid and just be happy with acts of doing what’s right by both sides.

  21. Larry’s not declining because of age. He’s had freak knee/hamstring injuries he’s played through the past two years. Look at his numbers before injuring his knee in 2014. Was on pace for a very good year even though he was being misutilized in the slot.

  22. There’s much more to this redo than what we’ve been told so far.

    His salary drops 4 million/yr on a 2 year deal but the cap hit drops 13 million for this year? There are extra nonguaranteed years on this contract that we haven’t heard about.

  23. Realities coming for the Cards.
    Last year was the product of an easy schedule.
    They got their ass handed to them by their own division.
    Carson Palmer is an old man and has never won
    a playoff game.
    I just don’t see it.

  24. Great player. Great person.
    Even playing for a rival and tormenting my team for a decade I am happy they signed him to remain a Cardinal.

    Can you imagine if they had kept Fitz and Boldin together all these years? Scary.

  25. Most won’t read this far…but if he was cut or didn’t do a new deal.

    Cards cap hit
    2015 – $21 mill
    2016 – $17 mil
    2017 – $17 mill
    2018 – $17 mill

    He’d been on the books forever and killed this team of any chance of competing.

    He really won me over by doing this deal. He could have gotten a 7-8 mill deal for 3 years with another team and left the Cards in cap hell. Instead he did the unlikely thing…he saved the team.

    Thanks

  26. Should have forced them to cut him so he could win the Super Bowl with the Pats next year. Now I’m sure the Cardinals will go somewhere between 7-9 and 10-6 and be an easy playoff out for someone as usual. Shame such a great player won’t get a chance to hoist the Lombardi.

  27. I’m a Seahawks fan and I’ll be the 1st to say ARI is a GOOD team. Solid defense, good pieces on offense and this move is good for they’re team. With a solid QB, this team can be DANGEROUS. They played very well until Palmer went down. The team had some big injuries last season outside of Palmer and they tapered off. With a healthy Palmer, they’re contending for the NFC West. I put them ahead of SF easily

  28. What a waste !! This guy could have been so much more ..

    He’s one of the all time best and he’s stuck with no help at all have fun Fitz ..

  29. I don’t understand why Fitzgerald is so overrated. He hasn’t sniffed 1,000 yards in the last three seasons, but everyone is always so quick to offer up excuses for him. Bad QB play? Between Warner and Palmer, sure it was ugly, but that hasn’t stopped less heralded players like Vincent Jackson, Garçon, and even Fitzgerald’s teammate Floyd. Double coverage? What #1 WR doesn’t have to fight double coverage regularly? That doesn’t stop Megatron or Antonio Brown or Dez. Brown had nearly as many yards and more TDs in 2014 alone as Fitzgerald gained in 2013 and 2014 combined. Based on his production and skill at this stage of his career, Fitzgerald is on par with Jerricho Cotchery or Jermaine Kearse. But his pay says he is elite. I don’t get it.

  30. “mexxx27 says:
    Feb 18, 2015 12:25 PM

    Realities coming for the Cards.
    Last year was the product of an easy schedule.
    They got their ass handed to them by their own division.
    Carson Palmer is an old man and has never won
    a playoff game.
    I just don’t see it.”

    ____________

    The Cardinals’ opponents’ records were a combined 142-113-1. A .557 win percentage, making their, “easy schedule” the 5th hardest.

    Their division record was 3-3. Breaking even is not getting their asses handed to them. Those three losses came in the last quarter of the season whilst they played with their 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks among the injuries to their other starters.

    True, Palmer has not won a playoff game. This is the only factual statement your post contains.

  31. Fitz doesn’t put up the huge stats because he’s not running streak routes for 80-yard TDs. Those go to the younger, faster guys on the team.

    For those wondering why the Cards pay him so much – he’s probably the best WR on the West Coast at making an impossible catch, and you can throw to him on any down. That’s priceless on those mid-to-long third downs.

  32. arzcardinals says:
    Feb 18, 2015 12:33 PM

    Most won’t read this far…but if he was cut or didn’t do a new deal.

    Cards cap hit
    2015 – $21 mill
    2016 – $17 mil
    2017 – $17 mill
    2018 – $17 mill

    He’d been on the books forever and killed this team of any chance of competing.

    He really won me over by doing this deal. He could have gotten a 7-8 mill deal for 3 years with another team and left the Cards in cap hell. Instead he did the unlikely thing…he saved the team.
    _______

    I don’t know all the details of the cap consequences for cutting Fitzy, but I do know he would not have counted $73 million against the cap over four years if they cut him.

  33. mexxx27 says:
    Realities coming for the Cards.
    Last year was the product of an easy schedule.
    They got their ass handed to them by their own division.
    Carson Palmer is an old man and has never won
    a playoff game.
    I just don’t see it.

    ———————

    WHAT are you talking about?!? You have no more credibility after that comment. Look at their schedule again and consider the fact they played most of the season AND won with a back up at starting quarterback.

  34. Good for you Larry, would have been fun to have you come home and play in MN, of course it’s 3 degrees today so I completely understand. You’re a class act, proud of your MN ties.
    Thank you

  35. glad to see the cards trying to keep their star. Unlike the chargers, they just let them go #smh.
    – a charger fan

  36. The entire city of Seattle can only wish their team had Fitz.

    Congrat’s to the Cardinals organization and good luck next season!

  37. You’d think that this late in his career he’d have been more interested in getting a ring.

    I guess not.

  38. A lot of haters commenting on here do not follow Cardinals football. They have a top 10 QB in Palmer. Look at his stats before he went down last year. He threw only 3 picks prior to going down and had a QB rating of 95.6.

    His first year here in AZ he threw for over 4000 yards and ranked 8th best QB overall in the league. But hey, haters got to hate what they dont know.

  39. I doubted the Cards the first half of the year this past season but it became apparent that Arens was building a team in the real sense. By the time I got on board the injuries were taking place but that team did not quit. Given a normal upcoming season with injuries the Cards might well be a very tough out in 2015..

  40. Where is all of this hate coming from? Talking about the Cardinals not having a chance? The team with 5 or 6 starters out at any given time yet they had the best record in the NFL, against one of the toughest schedules in the NFL all with a back up QB starting over half of those games. It wasn’t until Stanton went down that they fell.. You people are nuts. People talking bad about Larry, you must not like good guys with talent and the right attitude. Seems like Arizona has one of the best chances to get Larry that ring next year!

  41. Much a do about Larry’s production….but if you follow football then you know the only inconsistency in Larry’s career is the Cardinals inability to solidify the QB situation. That being said, if Palmer stays healthy (just like any starter in the NFL) the Cardinals are a solid team with one of the best coaches & GM’s in the business.

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