Two of the best players in Cardinal history will be put into action in March. While Cardinals need not worry about Larry Fitzgerald defected to another team, with the future Hall of Fame indicating that he would only play for Cards, Patrick Peterson could leave after 10 seasons in Arizona.
After Michael Bidwill indicated that the Cardinals would like to bring Peterson, GM Steve Keim confirmed that he spoke to Pro Bowler eight times this off-season, according to Bob McManamon of Arizona Republic.
Keim hardly said that he would like to extend Peterson before he hits the market, citing the uncertainty of the salary cap as one of the main reasons he had no clear idea of the defender’s place for the entire decade with the 2021 Cardinals.
Peterson’s game for the past two years does not compare to his level of work in the Pro Bowl, and he will turn 31 this year. Cardinals, however, also have Dre Kirkpatrick set to free agency and saw Robert Alford has lost two full seasons since signing with Arizona in 2019. The team has a considerable need as a cornerback.
The Cardinals are respecting Fitzgerald’s timeline. Keim did not speak to Fitz this off-season, for McManamon. As he has done in recent seasons, Fitzgerald is taking too long to determine whether he wants to return. The 37-year-old has indicated that only one league will matter to him in attack.
Fitz saw his output drop in 2020. Although the 17-year-old veteran has lost three games, his 31.5 yards per game represented a low number in his career – by a wide margin. After winning $ 11 million last year, Fitz would almost certainly need to agree to a lower cost deal if he returned to an 18th season. Arizona has DeAndre Hopkins signed in the long run but Christian Kirk is entering a year of contract after an inconsistent series of three seasons.
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