The curious case of Larry Fitzgerald continues as Arizona Cardinals fans wait to see if their franchise wide receiver will be back or not in 2015. Fitzgerald is obviously the face of the Arizona franchise having spent his entire career with the team, but contract issues could rear their ugly head and cause him to head elsewhere. The two sides have had initial conversations regarding Fitzgerald's status, but if things go south there are several teams preparing to strike a deal for him.
According to FOX Sports Arizona, Fitzgerald and the Cardinals have had negotiations regarding his contract, but the wide receiver is not expected to return next season. First and foremost, Fitzgerald is a $24 million salary cap hit next season. That is a huge hit for someone who is 31. However, that is apparently not the only issue for the wide receiver. FOX Sports writes that Fitzgerald is unhappy with his role on the team. He does not like being a slot receiver because it means he is getting targeted less. He had 63 catches for 784 yards, the lowest since his rookie season.
Fitzgerald has stated that he is uninterested in taking a pay cut from his current salary. However, the Cardinals are also not interested in out-right releasing him. The wide receiver is currently in the midst of Pro Bowl practices and already talking about Arizona in the past tense.
"I truly enjoyed my time playing for the Arizona Cardinals, really enjoyed my relationship with Bruce Arians and his coaching staff, truly been a pleasure to play in the NFL for as long as I have been able to but obviously there's business that needs to be taken care of," Fitzgerald said, via Paul Burmeister of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN. "Hopefully we can address it here in the near future."
Fitzgerald will have the attention of several teams if available for trading. The New England Patriots will immediately begin discussing a deal considering they have dead weight in Danny Amendola and Aaron Dobson on the roster. The Minnesota Vikings are seeking help for Cordarrelle Patterson's struggles. The Oakland Raiders need a No.1 target for Derek Carr. If Fitzgerald is getting traded, a deal will happen sooner rather than later.