The REAL Best WR Ever: Larry Fitzgerald

Jerry Rice unanimously considered the greatest receiver ever right he's got more yards at 22895 more receiving touchdowns and more receptions than any player ever yet the one man who came the closest to catching rice in yards and receptions is Larry Fitzgerald who played in three fewer Seasons than rice but with the greatest handicap of all a career with the Cardinals now this is not a goat debate or some lame ass hot take angle because when you look at what Larry did you can make the case that he's the most consistent and possibly the best receiver the NFL has ever seen it's been a full three season since Larry Fitzgerald quietly walked away from the game of football he retired with just about every Cardinals record after playing his entire 17-year career in Arizona and he's undoubtedly gone down as the greatest Cardinal of all time I might be willing to take it a step further yeah because what you consider all that he did with what he was given he's in the conversation for best ever I'm going to talk about his legendary career and uh make the case why he's still underrated and how fitting it is he entered the NFL in 2004 which was Jerry Rice's final season today we're going balls deep into Larry the Cable Guy because a lot of cards games weren't broadcast nationally so you had to have cable to watch [Music] Larry hike hike hey today's episode is sponsored by football head coach the ultimate management game you can build your dream roster with your favorite players or players you despise because they torture your team through their Excellence really your preference maybe their name rhymes with schrick catacombs I don't know football head coach though is licensed by the nflpa and this is my second season playing it here's my new roster and football head coach 25 and as you can see I need some serious upgrades now I can get better players by completing challenges or buying players from the transfer market or purchasing packs personally I just like to purchase packs because I'm all about that instant gratification and right away I added quarterback Matthew Stafford Mike Evans Mr consistency and my man javante Williams I upgraded the entire roster and I could barely believe that I got my hero b Knicks as my qb3 and now I cannot be stopped when the game starts javante scored my first touchdown just like I knew he would football head coach also features uh the weekend League where you can earn amazing rewards qualify during the week and compete for top prizes on the weekend so download football head coach and start building your dream roster uh with my link in the description or my QR code it is free to play and download football head coach 25 when you're smarter than all the head coaches out there now at night a child siiz Larry Fitzgerald laid in bed tossing a football up towards the ceiling catching it in his hands each time gravity brought it back down Fitzgerald grew up in a sports-loving family his father Larry Fitzgerald senior was a sports writer which provided young Larry with unique access to professional athletes in a close-up view of the world of football perhaps you've heard that while growing up in Minneapolis Minnesota a young Larry Fitz was a ball boy for the Vikings where he grew up at the hip of Legends like Warren Moon Chris Carter and Randy Moss bizarrely though Fitzgerald didn't begin his high school career as a wide receiver at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield Minnesota Fitz was a linebacker in the 5-3 scheme and when the team was on offense Larry was on the sideline finally by the end of his high school career he had shown that he could win just about any jump ball and outrace any Defender he was Randy Moss and Chris Carter all at once and he was going to play in college but not right away Fitzgerald didn't meet the NCAA requirements to play as a freshman so instead said he spent his first year out of high school at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania where his work on the atomic bomb would later make him a great fit for the desert or so I'm told eventually Fitzgerald attended the University of Pittsburgh where at first he wasn't sure if he had what it took to compete against players his own size and strength with similar gifts to his own I'm competing against men with beards kids and drinking problems he told the Arizona Central in 2015 wait I have a beard a kid and a borderline drinking problem is Larry scared of me probably not the young Larry called home to talk to his father telling him he didn't know if he could make it at pit his father didn't want to hear it so he just hung up the phone on his son and that lazy parenting turned out to be the right call his sophomore season at pit in 2003 was nothing short of spectacular he recorded 92 receptions for 1672 yards and 22 TDS earning him the Walter Camp award in the bnov award as the nation's top receiver his dominance on the Collegiate level made him a Surefire top pick in the 2004 NFL draft where the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the third overall pick as a rookie he'd be joining quarterback Josh Macau and another really underrated receiver Anquan Balden and a 78 8-year-old EMT Smith chasing the record books from the moment he stepped onto the NFL field Fitzgerald's impact was undeniable his combination of speed and size and incredible hands God he had nice hands made him a nightmare for Defenders but beyond his physical gifts it was his work ethic football IQ and humility that set him apart Fitzgerald was never one to boast or seek the spotlight which for a wide receiver is a Flatout Miracle a wide receiver without a constant need for attention it's like finding an ice cream that gives you ABS instead he let his play do the talking and oh brother what a story his play told in the 2004 season opener against the St Louis Rams Fitzgerald stepped onto the field for the first time as a professional the game ended in a 1710 loss for the Cardinals but Fitzgerald's four receptions for 70 yards were a glimpse of the talent he possessed just a few weeks later he caught his first career TD a 24 yd pass from Josh maau against the San Francisco 49ers the first of many for Larry at just 21 years and 110 days old Fitzgerald became the youngest player in NFL history at the time to record at least two touchdown receptions in a single game although his record was eventually broken by Aaron Hernandez whoa and later by Mike Evans it sure meant something at the time and I think Cardinals fans may have gotten the inkling that this guy was going to be around for a long time capping his rookie season with 59 receptions for 780 yards and 8 TDS a stellar start that hinted at the incredible career ahead now it's hard to appreciate Larry's rookie season now with guys like puka neua Justin Jefferson Jamar Chase and even Odell Beckham resetting rookie receiving records every single year hell Larry's own teammate Anquan Balden had eight touchdowns 1,377 yards as a rookie just a year prior to Larry arriving now puka had Stafford slinging it Jefferson had cousins Chase with burrow obj with Manning Anquan and Larry were working with Josh maau who never had a 3,000 yard passing season or threw for more than 11 touchdowns while a cardinal now Fitzgerald entered the 2005 season leading the NFL with 103 receptions for, 149 yards ranking him fourth in the league and 10 TDS which placed him among the top five his play earned him his first Pro Bowl selection securing his status as one of the League's Premier wide receivers teaming up with Anquan Balden Fitzgerald help form one of the greatest receiving Duos in the NFL the pair became only the second tandem in league history to each record over a 100 receptions and 1,400 yards in a single season joining the ranks of Herman Moore and Brett Perryman of the Detroit Lions and they did it with the combo of Matt ler and CT Warner throwing them the ball Curt Warner arrived in Arizona in 2005 and instantly benefited from the balen Fitzgerald Duo now Warner was brought in to Mentor rookie QB and future Ted Cruz endorser Matt leer Warner would end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but had he not played with Balden and Larry late in his career when we all assumed he was washed and broken I'm not sure Kurt even makes it into the Hall of Fame in 2006 and 07 Larry was just as steady and electric going for another 1,400 yards in ' 07 that earned him a spot on the first team All Pro 05 06 07 Larry still catching passes from the ler Warner combo he had Kurt Warner on his team for three full years before Kurt was name the full-time starter it wasn't just his onfield exploits that made Fitzgerald special though off the field he was equally impressive known for his philanthropy Fitzgerald was a finalist for the Walther Payton NFL Man of the Year award multiple times for his charity work particularly through the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation which focuses on education and breast cancer awareness Fitzgerald was the embodiment of what it means to be a professional athlete he was just a pro is pro man he never dropped the ball in practice in the game never dropped the ball he was durable playing in 263 games and reliable with 14 seasons of a th000 or more receiving yards he was pure Excellence now despite his immense Talent Fitzgerald spent much of his career playing with the revolving door of QBs while some like CTT Warner and Carson Palmer were able to maximize Fitzgerald's otherworldly talent and abilities uh many others struggled to get the ball the fits on a regular basis between Warner's retirement in 2010 and Palmer's arrival in 2013 Fitzgerald played with the laundry list of quarterbacks including the likes of Kevin cob Derek Anderson John Skelton Ryan Lindley and the 2018 Duo of Josh Rosen and Sam Bradford the one positive of playing with bad quarterbacks for your entire career is it can help you achieve the greatest stat in NFL history yes of course I am talking about the fact that Larry Fitzgerald has more career tackles 37 than career drops as a wide receiver you need a shitty quarterback throwing the ball to the other team to get those 37 tackles while also being able to catch their shitty passes to secure yourself in NFL history and become part of the greatest folklore stat that's ever existed have you ever seen him drop a pass no not even in practice these years were obviously challenging as the lack of stability at the QB position often stalled the Cardinals offense and limited Fitzgerald's opportunities to Showcase his full potential I really think that we'd talk about Larry In a Different Light if he had a different group of quarterbacks throwing him the ball but when he did for a brief period have a Hall of Famer throwing him the rock it was scary for defenses terrifying okay maybe not terrifying they were still the Cardinals but enter that late career Kurt Warner the 2008 season which I did a whole video about was a defining moment in Larry Fitz's career marking not just individual Brilliance but also a pivotal year for the Arizona Cardinals as a team Fitzgerald was damn near Unstoppable finishing the regular season with 96 receptions for 1,431 yards and a league leading 12 TDS just look at some of these grabs if Michelangelo were alive today he would carve out Larry Fitzgerald and for the first time in his career the Cardinals finished with a winning record at 9- seven earning a spot in the playoffs even when the Cardinals get into the dance it's it's not pretty but in his playoff debut Fitzgerald delivered a masterful performance hauling in six receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 3024 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card round but it was in the divisional round against the Carolina Panthers where Fitz Jer truly shined with eight receptions for 166 yards in a commanding 33113 win during the NFC Championship Game Fitzgerald etched his name into history tying an NFL record with three touchdown receptions in a playoff game remarkably all three TDS came in the first half making him the first player ever to achieve such a feat in a conference Championship the Cardinals 3225 victory over the Eagles secured their spot in the Super Bowl a historic moment for the franchise and its star receiver as they Pro to be superior birds that postseason run by Larry may be the best by any player ever and in Super Bowl 43 what did Fitz do he once again demonstrated why he was one of the League's Premier receivers he caught two touchdown passes in this game including a breathtaking 64 yd reception from Kurt Warner late in the fourth quarter keeping the Cardinals alive putting them ahead 2320 the play electrified fans and momentarily placed Fitzgerald at the center of one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history the lead was shortlived of course as the Pittsburgh Steelers scored a touchdown with just 35 seconds remaining securing a 2723 victory Fitz though was the best receiver in that game but it was Santonio Holmes that won MVP instead despite that heartbreaking loss Fitzgerald's postseason seon performance was nothing short of legendary Larry the legend he set single season postseason records with 546 receiving yards 30 receptions and seven touchdown receptions surpassing the previous Mark set by the great Jerry Rice during the 8889 NFL playoffs Fitzgerald's incredible run nearly delivered the Cardinals their first Super Bowl ring and I think just about every non Steelers fan uh was captivated and ultimately rooting for Arizona because of his Feats of heroism in that game Fitzgerald's remarkable 2008 season becomes even more impressive more legendary when we later learned that Fitzgerald had played the entire postseason with a broken left thumb and torn cartilage in the same hand an injury he had been battling since November of 2008 basically he put up the greatest postseason uh a receivers ever had with one working hand in the 2009 wildcard round against the Green Bay Packers Fitzgerald was once again clutch catching six passes for 82 yards and two TDS in the third quarter alone leading the Cardinals to a 5145 shootout Victory it took the Cardinals 5 years to get back to the playoffs and when they did in 2014 Ryan Lindley was starting at the quarterback position for the injured Carson Palmer and even the second Stringer Drew Stanton but in 2015 Palmer was healthy and in overtime against the Packers with a shot at the NFC title game on the line Fitz needed to make a play and then you have the hail Larry Palmer extending the play crosses the field Larry Fitzgerald Fitzgerald is going to take it into Green Bay territory Larry Fitzgerald inside the 30 the 20 over it's insane to the four yd line that was as close says Larry would get to a Lombardi in the back nine of his career he stuck around in the Twilight as more of a role player bound to quarterbacks like Josh Rosen and Sam Bradford in 2018 before ushering in the start of Kyler Murray's career for his final two NFL seasons Kyler's great don't get me wrong but he's legally classified as a little person so Fitzgerald has always been hamstrung in one way or another by his quarterback in 2022 he officially retired with 11 Pro bowls under his belt an all deade team and a whole bunch of Records allow me to list them eight seasons with 90 plus receptions 7even TDS and 30 receptions in that 2008 postseason three postseason games with 150 or more receiving yards the fewest games needed to score 10 postseason receiving touchdowns just 32 years of age at the time he caught his 1,000th pass and he was the first wide out to record at least 150 catches against three different NFL franchises the Seahawks 49ers and Rams and if you were wondering yeah he owns just about every Cardinals franchise record there is there's really no doubt in my mind that he's the most prolific accomplished and important Arizona Cardinal of all time and I think his work with a lot of subpar QBs is proof of that Fitz's 2011 season isn't the most impressive statistical year he had by raw numbers but when you put it into context he probably should have been a first team All Pro that year the Cardinals played three quarterbacks John Skelton Kevin Cobb and Richard Bartell Bartle Richard Bartle none of them completed 60% of their passes or broke a passer rating at 81 somehow Larry still caught 80 passes for 1411 yards and eight touchdowns he was the fourth leading receiver in the NFL despite being on the receiving end of the worst QB room in the league the three guys in front of him were Calvin Johnson Wes Welker and Victor Cruz and when it's all said and done the three guys throwing them the football That season probably Hall of Famers the Cardinals actually went 8 and8 in 2011 and I think that's a testament to the effect he had on that team now you can say that Jerry Rice or Randy Moss who fits Gerald watched as a child are the best receivers of all time I get that the numbers are hard to argue rice in particular was blessed with a steady hand at QB his signal callers Joe Montana then Steve Young and Rich Ganon who won League MVP five times while rice was on the other end of their passes obviously two of them made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame if you gave Larry Fitzgerald that kind of help I think he ends up with a lot more than 121 touchdown passes and I think he easily breaks 20,000 receiving yards in his career which only Jerry Rice has done 121 touchdowns by the way is 13th best all time and sixth among uh wide receivers he's also got 1,432 receptions just 117 behind Jerry Rice despite playing in those three fewer Seasons so why isn't Larry regarded as the second best wide receiver of all time or at least on the wide receiver Mount Rushmore Gil Brandt the great Cowboys executive listed fits as the seventh best receiver ever too low way too low in my mind the largely irrelevant stretches the team had in Arizona are a huge Factor but Larry's loyalty to Arizona is rare and very cool he could have left a few times but he stayed with the team that gave him a chance in the league not even Jerry Rice could do that and in an era where wide receivers were always big talkers the most decentric self-promoters and the ultimate showman he didn't bring much attention to him himself I guess that was my job today and I hope I didn't [ __ ] it up for you Larry cuz you're a GD Legend thanks for watching that's good sports Please Subscribe here on the YouTubes the YouTubes are free but you you got to subscribe and click that notification button so you know when I do more football videos who should we do next Chad Pennington should we do Chad Pennington