For 17 seasons, Fitzgerald wore No. 11 for the Arizona Cardinals. He became the face of the organization, one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history and one of the most respected players of his generation.
Now, his number will never be worn by another Cardinal.
The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday that they will retire Fitzgerald’s No. 11 jersey and induct him into the team’s Ring of Honor during halftime of their Oct. 25 game against the Denver Broncos at State Farm Stadium. The ceremony comes only days after Fitzgerald was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.
It is the latest honor for a player whose career has become synonymous with Cardinals football.
A Career That Started With Great Expectations
The Cardinals selected Fitzgerald with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.
Coming out of Pittsburgh, Fitzgerald was considered one of the most talented wide receiver prospects in the country. Arizona believed it was getting a potential franchise player.
It turned out to be exactly that.
Fitzgerald immediately became one of the focal points of the Cardinals’ offense. His combination of size, hands, route running ability and physicality made him a nightmare for opposing defensive backs.
But what separated Fitzgerald from so many other stars was his consistency.
For nearly two decades, he was there.
Season after season.
Game after game.
Play after play.
And he never wore another team’s uniform.
The Numbers of a Legend
Fitzgerald finished his career with numbers that put him among the greatest receivers the sport has ever seen.
Over 17 seasons, he recorded:
- 1,432 receptions
- 17,492 receiving yards
- 121 receiving touchdowns
- 11 Pro Bowl selections
- One First Team All Pro selection
- 2016 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
His 17,492 receiving yards and 1,432 receptions both rank second in NFL history, behind only Jerry Rice. His 121 touchdown receptions rank sixth all time.
More importantly for Arizona, every one of those numbers came wearing the same uniform.
Fitzgerald spent his entire NFL career with the Cardinals, something that has become increasingly rare in professional sports.
The 2008 Playoff Run
If one stretch of Fitzgerald’s career helped define his greatness, it was the Cardinals’ incredible run to Super Bowl XLIII following the 2008 season.
Arizona entered the postseason as an underdog but quickly became one of the most dangerous teams in football.
Fitzgerald was unstoppable.
In the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he caught nine passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona advanced to its first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Then came Super Bowl XLIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fitzgerald caught seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, including a spectacular 64 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that briefly gave Arizona the lead.
The Cardinals ultimately lost 27-23, but Fitzgerald’s postseason performance became legendary.
During that playoff run, he established himself as one of the greatest postseason receivers the game had ever seen.
The Player Who Made Difficult Catches Look Easy
Ask Cardinals fans what made Fitzgerald special and the answer probably won’t start with statistics.
It will be his hands.
Fitzgerald developed a reputation for catching virtually anything thrown in his direction.
High passes.
Low passes.
Balls thrown behind him.
Throws into double coverage.
Contested catches along the sideline.
He had an extraordinary ability to track the football and use his body to shield defenders.
His style was never built around being the fastest receiver on the field.
Instead, Fitzgerald won with precision, intelligence, physicality and technique.
That consistency allowed him to remain productive even as his athleticism changed with age.
More Than a Football Player
Fitzgerald’s legacy in Arizona extends well beyond what he accomplished between the white lines.
He became known for his professionalism, humility and willingness to give back to the community.
Those qualities were recognized around the league when he won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2016, one of the league’s most prestigious honors.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill praised Fitzgerald not only for what he accomplished on the field but also for his leadership, professionalism and contributions to the Arizona community.
That reputation followed Fitzgerald throughout his career.
He became the type of player opposing teams respected, teammates trusted and fans could look up to.
One Team. One Number. One Legacy.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Fitzgerald’s career is that he never left Arizona.
In an era when stars frequently change teams in search of bigger contracts, better opportunities or championships, Fitzgerald stayed with the Cardinals.
There were opportunities to leave.
There were moments when the Cardinals struggled.
There were seasons when the team was rebuilding.
But Fitzgerald remained.
That loyalty helped create a connection between player and city that goes beyond football.
He wasn’t simply a great player who happened to play for Arizona.
For many fans, Larry Fitzgerald is Arizona Cardinals football.
The Hall of Fame Chapter
Fitzgerald’s place among the greatest players in NFL history became official when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8, 2026.
The honor capped a career that had already established Fitzgerald as one of the most accomplished wide receivers ever.
And the next chapter will be celebrated in Arizona.
No. 11 Will Never Be Forgotten
When the Cardinals retire Fitzgerald’s No. 11 in October, it will become a permanent symbol of everything he represented for the organization.
The number will no longer belong to a player.
It will belong to a legacy.
A legacy of 17 seasons.
A legacy of more than 1,400 catches.
A legacy of playoff heroics.
A legacy of unbelievable catches.
A legacy of loyalty.
And a legacy of representing the Cardinals and the Arizona community with class.
Fitzgerald’s No. 11 will join the Cardinals’ most treasured pieces of history, and his induction into the Ring of Honor will ensure that his name remains permanently connected to the franchise.
A Legend Gets His Number Retired
Every franchise has players who become legends.
But very few become the definition of the franchise itself.
Larry Fitzgerald did.
He arrived in Arizona as the third overall pick in 2004 with enormous expectations.
Seventeen years later, he left as a Hall of Famer, a Cardinals icon and one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game.
His career didn’t end with a championship.
It didn’t end with a final playoff run.
But perhaps that doesn’t matter.
The memories are already there.
The Super Bowl run.
The impossible catches.
The record-setting performances.
The Pro Bowls.
The Man of the Year award.
The loyalty to Arizona.
And the No. 11 jersey that fans will continue to wear long after Fitzgerald’s playing days are over.
On Oct. 25, the Cardinals will officially take that number out of circulation.
But for Cardinals fans, No. 11 was never just a number.
It was Larry Fitzgerald.
And now, it will forever be his.
