Larry Fitzgerald and team president Michael Bidwill attended at a hastily called news conference Saturday night to announce the contract.
Arizona Cardinals--The team announced Saturday evening that it Signed a contract with star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald on an eight-year extension.
NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reported the deal is worth $120 million with roughly $47 million essential according to league sources.
Fitzgerald insisted he "hates this part of sports," but he certainly has made a boatload of money. This is the third major contract he has signed, and he doesn’t turn 28 until Aug. 31.
Fitzgerald said "Growing up, since I was seven years old, this has been the game I love and something I have been so interest in it ,and to have to talk about it on the business side is a little bit uncomfortable. But I am really happy to put it behind us and it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the Bidwill family’s hard work in making this thing happen."
Fitzgerald had one year and $7 million left on his current deal, according to La Canfora. Over the final season of his current contract and the first four years of his new deal, the wide receiver will average $17 million per season, according to a league source.
The Cardinals had said they wanted Fitzgerald’s new contract wrapped up by the start of the regular season, and they made it with two weeks to spare.
Fitzgerald has topped 1,000 yards receiving in five of his seven NFL seasons, including the last four. He caught 90 passes for 1,137 yards last season even though Arizona had one of the worst offenses in the league while struggling to a 5-11 record, in large part because of poor quarterback play in the wake of the instead of Kurt Warner.
While Fitzgerald said he never insisted the team make a big move for a quarterback -- "I am not anyone to hold a hammer over anyone’s head" -- the Cardinals Got
Kevin Kolb from the
Philadelphia Eagles, then make a sign with him to a five-year, $63 million contract, with $21 million guaranteed. Fitzgerald, who organized team workouts during the lockout, had a practice session with Kolb long before the trade.
Fitzgerald will be under contract to the Cardinals through the 2018 season. It is not known whether the deal contains the kind of terms that gave him huge leverage over the team under its current deal - specifically a ban on making him a franchise player and a no-trade clause.
The contract could have widespread ramifications around the NFL, particularly in the case of running back Chris Johnson, who is holding out for a new deal with the
Tennessee Titans.
Johnson tweeted "congratulations to LarryFitzgerald god is good" and Fitzgerald responded with "thanks CJ you up next my guy."
