Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has long been considered to be an eventual cap casualty for the team. Fitzgerald signed a seven-year deal worth $113 million with $27 million in guarantees that runs through 2018.
That deal has already been restructured once in order to help clean up a clogged cap sheet. Fitzgerald was scheduled for a cap hit of $18 million this year, but he worked with the Cardinals to lower that number to $8.6 million instead. However, this kicking-the-can-down-the-road approach will amount to a salary cap hit of $23.6 million for the 2015 season. As a result, the 31-year-old receiver has been rumored to be a target for release.
"Receiver Larry Fitzgerald has a cap number of $23.6 million for 2015," Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote. "It's widely believed he'll be cut. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, he won't be.
"He could be traded, he could restructure his deal, or he could elect to negotiate an extension. But he won't be released -- even if it means carrying $23.6 million in cap space."
That is an astronomical amount of money for an aging receiver. Arizona's quarterback situation has been a mess this season when Carson Palmer has been sidelined with injury. Still, Fitzgerald is on pace to finish with his worst season since his rookie year. The 11-year veteran has 61 receptions for 755 yards and only two touchdowns.
There is no doubting that Fitzgerald is one of the most popular and beloved Cardinals of the past decade. His stellar post-season performance during Arizona's Super Bowl run in 2008 was more than memorable. But Florio might be getting ahead of himself by completely ruling out a release. If Fitzgerald and the team cannot come to an agreement that will significantly lower Fitzgerald's cap hit next season, it seems likely he will be playing for a new team.
