The Kansas City Chiefs were apparently on Larry Fitzgerald's radar, or at least that's what the future Hall of Fame wide receiver revealed during his recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday. Fitzgerald said that he'd chatted with the Chiefs but ultimately decided not to ring chase but retire instead.
"This was the year after the last year I played," said Fitzgerald. "I talked to the Chiefs. I knew it was time [to retire], I had a great run. It was time to move on to new endeavors."
Dan asked him why he wasn't interested in ring chasing and Fitzgerald said there was no guarantee he'd do so. He said there's no guarantees in life and reiterated that he knew it was time to hang up the cleats.
Fitzgerald, the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, spent all 17 years of his prestigious career with the Arizona Cardinals, reaching two Super Bowls and tallying over 17,400 receiving yards. He retired following the 2020 season meaning that his conversation with the Chiefs likely happened in the 2021 offseason.
The Chiefs still had Tyreek Hill at that time but behind him didn't leave much to be desired at the position. Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, Mecole Hardman, and Josh Gordon were some of the biggest names behind Hill on the depth chart at that time, so it's not crazy to think that Fitzgerald would have been a massive upgrade for the wide receiver position.
It's worth noting that Fitzgerald's final few years in the league weren't great stats-wise. He missed a handful of games in 2020, his final season in the NFL, and only had 409 yards and 1 touchdown that season. That being said, Demarcus Robinson had 264 yards and 3 scores that year so Fitzgerald would have been a better receiving option than him.
What would have been painful for Fitzgerald—assuming things played out the same—is that the 2021 season is only one of two seasons where K.C. didn't reach the Super Bowl. The Chiefs fell to the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game during the playoffs and that's the last time they've missed the Super Bowl. Had Fitzgerald signed with Kansas City to win a title and then failed to get to the big game, that'd have been gut-wrenching for the future Hall of Famer.
Fitzgerald ultimately chose to call it a career and not sign with another team. He reached two Super Bowls during his 17-year career with Arizona and managed to put up gaudy numbers despite playing with some bad quarterbacks during his time in the desert. It'd have been cool to see him play for Andy Reid and the Chiefs, but he probably wouldn't have been a strong enough addition to change how the 2021 season ended.
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Shortly after Miami Dolphins players reported for training camp on Tuesday, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill suggested he wants to be "better as a leader" after he controversially subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale this past January and then told reporters he was "out." While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the Hill-sized elephant in the room. "I think there’s a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek," Tagovailoa explained, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s conversating a lot more with the guys, not just about football, but about things off the field, being vulnerable about some of the things people know about his personal life and things of that nature. I think that’s the first step toward him building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there." Following Hill's "out" comment, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier revealed that the 31-year-old speedster never requested a trade. While publicly apologizing to his teammates during a Super Bowl week interview, Hill directly said that Tagovailoa is his "guy." Hill also insisted at the time that he loves Tagovailoa. "Everybody makes mistakes," Tagovailoa added about Hill. "It’s just, some people, they’re in the spotlight, and their deals get pushed out more than some others. So you’ve just got to cut him some grace. That’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, I think if you get to know him, you’ll love him too." Hill and Tagovailoa likely will need to be on the same page if they want to prevent the Dolphins from going through a franchise reset next offseason. At least head coach Mike McDaniel is reportedly on the hot seat this summer, while Tagovailoa's status beyond the upcoming campaign is up in the air after he suffered a third reported concussion since the fall of 2022 last season. "You guys aren’t the only people that heard that," Tagovailoa said about Hill's "out" statement. "...So when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, 'Hey, my bad.' You’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody. But like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, so I commend him for doing that." As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2024 Dolphins at -275 betting odds to miss the playoffs. Those who believe the relationship between Tagovailoa and Hill is on shaky ground following Wednesday's developments may want to take a flier on such a wager before the odds change later this year.
Rafael Devers played first base for the San Francisco Giants for the first time on Tuesday, and his quote about playing the field likely will not sit well with Boston Red Sox fans. Devers said after Tuesday’s game that he prefers playing in the field as opposed to serving as a designated hitter. “It keeps me active. It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat,” Devers said, via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’d rather be on the field than in the cage hitting all the time and thinking about the next at-bat.” Devers, of course, refused to play first base for the Red Sox after they asked him to. He felt disrespected after they moved him off third base to accommodate Alex Bregman, and thought the team went back on its word by later asking him to play first. To Red Sox fans, if Devers is best playing in the field and playing first would have helped the team, it will be baffling why he did not just do it when that would seemingly have been a preferable outcome for all involved. Devers went 2-for-5 in Tuesday’s 9-0 win over the Atlanta Braves, driving in a run in his first appearance at first base. It remains unclear how frequently the Giants plan to use him at the position, but the team might take note of these comments.
The Washington Commanders will have a squad full of new faces on the field this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The pass-rush unit in particular has been a work in progress all offseason, with veterans Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., Jacob Martin, and Eddie Goldman all among the additions to a defensive line that will need all the help it can get. Then, just when it seemed like the smoke had cleared, Adam Peters went out and signed Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. How will all the new pieces fit together? We may have gotten a glimpse on the first day of training camp. Commanders already pulling out all the stops to make revamped defensive line work It's going to require some creativity to find efficient combinations with the Commanders' defensive front, particularly on the edge. Joe Whitt Jr. duly obliged with an intriguing formation that nobody saw coming. It was expected from the moment Miller signed that his primary position would be on the edge, despite playing most of his career as an outside linebacker. It's unclear if he will be a starter or more of a situational piece, perhaps a specialist to mostly come in on third downs, and this specific set seems to imply the latter. What's more intriguing here is using Luvu as an edge rusher, while moving Dorance Armstrong Jr. inside. The hard-nosed linebacker became a quick fan favorite after he was signed on a bargain last offseason, finding a long-term home in Washington following stops with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. Luvu racked up a career-high eight sacks en route to being named a second-team All-Pro last season. He certainly knows how to rush the passer when given opportunities. Armstrong is a player who could perhaps benefit from being moved around a bit, especially if Miller is going to take some of his snaps on the outside. He was solid but unspectacular during his first season in Washington after coming over from the rival Dallas Cowboys, compiling five sacks. More will be needed this time around. It's also notable that this set does not include Kinlaw, Washington's highest-priced defensive acquisition this summer. The former San Francisco 49ers star is another player who Whitt has hinted at wanting to use in different ways, so it will be interesting to see where he fits if Armstrong is going to take snaps inside. All in all, it's clear that Whitt is trying to make the most out of a situation that everyone knows is less than ideal. Only time will tell how it works out. More Commanders news and analysis
Was Luis Gil’s latest rehab start a red flag? The New York Yankees right-hander allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks across 3.1 innings Wednesday night, striking out four on 67 pitches. And yet his might be the end of the 2024 Rookie of the Year’s rehab assignment. Gil told the YES Network’s Meredith Marakovitz that the Yankees were planning to discuss whether he needed another rehab start or if he would return to the big league rotation next. It’s a tough call for the Yankees, who have been very patient through some rotation crises this season. Gil has spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list after a spring training lat strain sidelined him just as he was poised to build off a breakout rookie campaign. In 2024, Gil was one of baseball’s best stories. After being cut early in spring training, Gil forced his way into the rotation and was a surprise contributor who posted a 2.81 ERA, 11-4 record, and 142 strikeouts in 136.2 innings. Gil’s return could help stabilize a Yankees pitching staff rocked by injuries to Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt, both out for the year following elbow surgeries. Now New York is left threading the needle between need and risk. Max Fried and Carlos Rodon have been solid, but both come with injury red flags and are tracking toward career-high workloads. Marcus Stroman has been streaky at best. Will Warren and Cam Schlittler are learning on the fly—and it shows. Gil's stuff still flashes. But Tuesday’s shaky outing raises a concern. Is it too soon to bring him back? If they do, it won’t be the first time desperation meets a short-term bet. But if Gil isn’t all the way back, the Yankees have to hold it together for another week. And if he is ready? The Yankees might be about to get a second-half shot of adrenaline that is better than most trade deadline deals to be had.
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