The 2020 season will mark Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald's 17 year in the NFL. And given all of his experience, he does not lament the fact that he hasn't been able to do any on-field work thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forcing the league to change its plans this spring and summer.
Fitzgerald spoke about the unexpected break to Darren Urban of the team's official website and said that this offseason reminds him of his 2011 summer — in which minicamps were cancelled and training camp was truncated due to the lockout. Of 2011, he said it “was my favorite offseason that I've ever had in 17 years and it's not even close.”
But this year might be the runner-up. With the Cardinals forced to conduct their offseason virtually and training camp not expected to begin before late July, the veteran wideout has been able to keep himself healthy and prepared thanks to the wealth of experience and knowledge he's gained after nearly two decades'-worth of offseason work.
Said Fitzgerald about this offseason:
“For a guy like me, not having the wear and tear of minicamps and OTAs, the drudgery and monotony of sitting in meetings all day, for things you pretty much know for the last 15 years. I can get right to the things that are most important to me to get myself together, which I know. So this has been great. The only difference is the things we are dealing with as a society, which none of us have had to deal with in our lifetimes on this football team, the COVID and now the protests. That's different, but in terms of the preparation for ball, that's been great.”
It's not that Fitzgerald hasn't been staying busy. In addition to the virtual work with the Cardinals, he's taking care of himself and his other interests while making sure he's prepared for the 2020 NFL season:
“I'm a professional … You don't have to wake me up in the morning to go train and catch balls and run routes. I'm going to do everything. That's my livelihood, that's my passion, that's my joy. It gives me the ability to be a lot more flexible. I can go sit in on (business) meetings, board meetings, a couple of other things I'm interested in, and also get the work that I know I need to get done to prepare myself for the rigors of the football season.”
While this odd offseason might not be ideal for younger Cardinals players, let alone their 2020 rookie class, it certainly has suited a veteran like Fitzgerald. With less risk of injury — and less repetitive, monotonous work that he likely doesn't need — he can focus on doing what works for him. There's no doubt the Cardinals expect Fitzgerald to be ready, simply because that's the kind of hard worker he's proven to be.
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