SCOTTSDALE – Perched on a hill bordering the putting green on the first hole of the WM Phoenix Open, a collection of young spectators dressed in red and black Arizona Cardinals gear gathered near a gallery rope. The thin twisted nylon stood as the only separation between them and Redbirds royalty.
“Larry, Larry, Larry,” they shouted, in hopes of drawing 11-time Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald over to their cluster nestled a few paces away.
Smiling, Fitzgerald offered a wave, acknowledging the small group, who, among many fans, vied for the attention of the potential 2026 NFL Hall of Fame class inductee at TPC Scottsdale on Wednesday morning.
Fitzgerald, among other current and former Cardinals players, commanded the spotlight at Wednesday’s 2026 Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am.
Three current Cardinals players – tight end Trey McBride, safety Budda Baker and linebacker Zaven Collins, along with former Arizona and Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith – joined Fitzgerald on the greens to compete with other celebrities and professional golfers.
Still, with the 2026 Hall of Fame class set to be announced at the NFL Honors in San Francisco Thursday night, leading up to the Super Bowl, much of the focus this week has remained on Fitzgerald, the Cardinals’ all-time leader in nearly every receiving category, who has a chance to be inducted as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“It’s out of my control,” Fitzgerald told reporters Tuesday. “I’ll be very happy for whoever does get the nod.
“I don’t know if you set out to have a Hall of Fame career. When you’re a kid, you just want to have a chance to go play in a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl and make plays that elevate your team and your city. That was always my goal. If I’m lucky enough to get in some day, this would be a great feather in your cap.”
Fitzgerald’s name still litters the NFL record book. He ranks second in league history in both receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492), only trailing 2010 Hall-of-Fame inductee, wide receiver Jerry Rice.
In 2004, the rookie campaign of Fitzgerald’s storied 17-year career, he shared the gridiron with 15-year veteran Emmitt Smith, who was in his final NFL season. A current NFL Hall of Famer himself, Smith shared an embrace with Fitzgerald before teeing off at the first hole.
“I think he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Smith said. “I had a great time playing with Larry.”
Fitzgerald made sure to put on a show for the crowd, signing autographs, making gestures and even dragging ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham to the tee box at the Phoenix Open’s notorious 16th hole.
Along with Fitzgerald and Smith, fans lined the fences, clasping trading cards and jerseys with outstretched arms to garner autographs from current Cardinals players McBride, Baker and Collins.
In the short time since the organization announced the hire of Mike LaFleur, some of Arizona’s star players who played in Wednesday’s Pro-Am had the chance to chat with their next head coach.
McBride, who earned a first-team All-Pro nod this past season, looks to continue his success under LaFleur’s innovative offense.
“I got on FaceTime with him right away,” McBride said. “He’s a great dude. I’m excited about everything he’s bringing to the table.
“He loves (using) the tight end. I think we’ll have a lot of fun.”
While the Cardinals have addressed their offensive vacancies by hiring LaFleur – who will call plays ––and bringing in Nathaniel Hackett to be their next offensive coordinator, the team is still searching for its next defensive coordinator.
Baker, the Cardinals’ leading tackler last season with 120, hopes the team brings in a coach who will build around the skill sets on Arizona’s roster.
“I just want someone who’s going to be the best for us, our capabilities (and) the players that we have,” Baker said.
As the Cardinals begin a new era under a revamped coaching staff, cautious optimism remains the underlying message from the returning players.
“I’m very fired up,” McBride said. “I think he’ll be a huge hit for us.”
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2026/02/05/cardinals-phoenix-open-fitzgerald-lafleur/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.
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Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals spotlighted at WM Phoenix Open, reflect on LaFleur hire
Adam Kunin, Cronkite News
February 5, 2026
SCOTTSDALE – Perched on a hill bordering the putting green on the first hole of the WM Phoenix Open, a collection of young spectators dressed in red and black Arizona Cardinals gear gathered near a gallery rope. The thin twisted nylon stood as the only separation between them and Redbirds royalty.
“Larry, Larry, Larry,” they shouted, in hopes of drawing 11-time Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald over to their cluster nestled a few paces away.
Smiling, Fitzgerald offered a wave, acknowledging the small group, who, among many fans, vied for the attention of the potential 2026 NFL Hall of Fame class inductee at TPC Scottsdale on Wednesday morning.
Fitzgerald, among other current and former Cardinals players, commanded the spotlight at Wednesday’s 2026 Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am.
Three current Cardinals players – tight end Trey McBride, safety Budda Baker and linebacker Zaven Collins, along with former Arizona and Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith – joined Fitzgerald on the greens to compete with other celebrities and professional golfers.
Still, with the 2026 Hall of Fame class set to be announced at the NFL Honors in San Francisco Thursday night, leading up to the Super Bowl, much of the focus this week has remained on Fitzgerald, the Cardinals’ all-time leader in nearly every receiving category, who has a chance to be inducted as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“It’s out of my control,” Fitzgerald told reporters Tuesday. “I’ll be very happy for whoever does get the nod.
“I don’t know if you set out to have a Hall of Fame career. When you’re a kid, you just want to have a chance to go play in a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl and make plays that elevate your team and your city. That was always my goal. If I’m lucky enough to get in some day, this would be a great feather in your cap.”
Fitzgerald’s name still litters the NFL record book. He ranks second in league history in both receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492), only trailing 2010 Hall-of-Fame inductee, wide receiver Jerry Rice.
In 2004, the rookie campaign of Fitzgerald’s storied 17-year career, he shared the gridiron with 15-year veteran Emmitt Smith, who was in his final NFL season. A current NFL Hall of Famer himself, Smith shared an embrace with Fitzgerald before teeing off at the first hole.
“I think he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Smith said. “I had a great time playing with Larry.”
Fitzgerald made sure to put on a show for the crowd, signing autographs, making gestures and even dragging ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham to the tee box at the Phoenix Open’s notorious 16th hole.
Along with Fitzgerald and Smith, fans lined the fences, clasping trading cards and jerseys with outstretched arms to garner autographs from current Cardinals players McBride, Baker and Collins.
In the short time since the organization announced the hire of Mike LaFleur, some of Arizona’s star players who played in Wednesday’s Pro-Am had the chance to chat with their next head coach.
McBride, who earned a first-team All-Pro nod this past season, looks to continue his success under LaFleur’s innovative offense.
“I got on FaceTime with him right away,” McBride said. “He’s a great dude. I’m excited about everything he’s bringing to the table.
“He loves (using) the tight end. I think we’ll have a lot of fun.”
While the Cardinals have addressed their offensive vacancies by hiring LaFleur – who will call plays ––and bringing in Nathaniel Hackett to be their next offensive coordinator, the team is still searching for its next defensive coordinator.
Baker, the Cardinals’ leading tackler last season with 120, hopes the team brings in a coach who will build around the skill sets on Arizona’s roster.
“I just want someone who’s going to be the best for us, our capabilities (and) the players that we have,” Baker said.
As the Cardinals begin a new era under a revamped coaching staff, cautious optimism remains the underlying message from the returning players.
“I’m very fired up,” McBride said. “I think he’ll be a huge hit for us.”
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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