Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has long been known as one of the classiest players in the NFL. That class was on full display Sunday, as he presented Associated Press writer Bob Baum with his own jersey:
Baum was covering his last game for the Cardinals in what also could have been Fitzgerald's last home game.
Fitzgerald has not confirmed that he is retiring at the end of the season. As a matter of fact, he is tired of retirement talk, but there is the possibility that Arizona's season finale against the Seattle Seahawks will also be Fitzgerald's career finale.
The 35-year-old is in his 15th NFL season and is unquestionably headed to the Hall of Fame.
Even now, Fitzgerald remains a productive receiver, having hauled in 65 receptions for 698 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
Fitzgerald, who played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh, was originally selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft.
He had a solid rookie campaign, catching 58 passes for 780 yards and eight scores. Then, the following year, Fitzgerald broke out, leading the league with 103 catches, 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
That was just the start of a long run of trips to Honolulu for Fitzgerald, as he has made 11 Pro Bowl appearances. He also was named a first-team All-Pro in 2008 after finishing with 96 receptions, 1,431 yards and a league-leading 12 receiving touchdowns.
The Cardinals dropped to 3-12 after their loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.