Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) warms up before playing against the Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 20, 2020. Eagles Vs Cardinals Michael Chow/The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Larry Fitzgerald Addresses Hall of Fame Hype

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 1:05 PM ET

It's a matter of when, not if, former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald enters the Pro Football Hall of. Fame.

Fitzgerald first became eligible this cycle, and thus far he's managed to progress through each stage successfully. He's now one of 26 modern-era semifinalists for the 2026 class.

Is a gold jacket immediately in the future? Fitzgerald spoke on what could come to fruition in just a few months:

Larry Fitzgerald Opens Up on Hall of Fame Potential

"I'm elated, man. It's unbelievable to think that you're in that position and it's an amazing opportunity, amazing feeling," he told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.

"When you're a youngster, you don't ever kind of say you're setting out to have a Hall of Fame career. That's not. You’re just like, I want to make the team, I want to get to a second contract, I want to be productive. That's so far out of the realm of imagination to think that you're one of 300, 400 people to ever be able to do this. It's crazy. You pinch yourself and, yeah, it's awesome.”

Fitzgerald had one of the best careers in NFL history, though he's joined by some pretty hefty names:

Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Frank Gore, Fred Taylor, Torry Holt, Steve Smith, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Jason Witten, Adam Vinatieri, Willie Anderson, Lomas Brown, Jahri Evans, Richmond Webb, Steve Wisniewski, Marshal Yanda, Robert Mathis, Vince Wilfork, Kevin Williams, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson

When asked what it would mean to be a first-time Hall of Fame player, he added: “It mean a lot, to just be a Hall of famer. I don't necessarily put a lot of stock in first ballot. I mean there’s no…Jerry Rice and Joe Montana and their bus are not somewhere else. It's not the first ballot [area]. It's a collection of the best players and coaches and contributors that have represented this game for over a hundred years. And so just to even be inside that room, it's an honor.”

Fitzgerald made 11 Pro Bowls and set numerous Cardinals and NFL records during his 17 years in the league, all of which came in Arizona.

The aforementioned pool of players will be trimmed down to 15 before the finalists are selected and revealed at the NFL Honors in February.

Fitzgerald surely figures to be somebody who advances.