Arizona is where Larry Fitzgerald’s heart is.
And it’s where the Cardinals receiver will finish his NFL career — whenever that might be.
Fitzgerald said Monday during his youth camp in his native Minnesota that he won’t play anywhere else during the rest of his career.
“If I’m not playing in Arizona, I won’t be playing anywhere,” Fitzgerald said, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’ve built a good life for myself down there. Playing in the same place for 15 years is a true blessing.”
Fitzgerald, who’s closing in on second place on the NFL’s all-time receptions and receiving yards lists, will turn 35 just before the season starts. He doesn’t see age as a reason he should retire, citing tennis star Serena Williams, 36, and basketball phenom LeBron James, 33, as examples of athletes playing at a high level into their 30s. Fitzgerald can be considered part of that club, having tallied at least 1,000 yards and 100 receptions in each of the past three seasons.
“It doesn’t really matter about the age, it’s about what you put into it and your mindset,” he told the newspaper. “Everybody kind of takes numbers and assumes this is when it’s supposed to end. As an athlete, fortunately, you write your own script. If you still produce and you play at a high level, you kind of determine how long you want to play.
“If I can stay at a high level, I still keep destiny in my own hands.”
And that means the questions about when Fitzgerald will retire will continue to be an annual occurrence.
