The Cardinals got through Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game without a defense-altering injury, but the night also came with a strange little Larry Fitzgerald twist tied to the man working the whistle.
Mark Dalton noted on X that veteran referee Craig Wrolstad is the same official who, as a rookie field judge in 2003, handled the forceout call on Josh McCown’s final-play touchdown to Nate Poole. That play knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs and sent Green Bay in. Dalton also pointed out that Wrolstad’s path eventually connected to Arizona’s 2004 first-round pick, which went from No. 1 to No. 3 and became “'26 HOFer @LarryFitzgerald.”
That draft opened with the Chargers taking Eli Manning before Manning was traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers, the No. 4 overall pick, and additional draft capital. The Raiders followed by selecting offensive tackle Robert Gallery at No. 2.
Fitzgerald’s NFL production quickly made that pick look like one of Arizona’s defining moves. As a rookie, he scored eight touchdowns. In the next five seasons, he hit double digits in touchdowns four times, including league-leading totals of 12 in 2008 and 13 in 2009.
Across a 17-year career spent entirely with the Cardinals, Fitzgerald earned 11 Pro Bowl selections.
He also made clear to ESPN that he doesn’t think of himself as retired.
“I remember them talking about retirement killing more people in our country than anything,” Fitzgerald said. “And so that always stuck with me.
And so, I just don't believe in retirement. I just think you transition into different phases, especially as an athlete.
“Retired? What do you mean retired?
There's no retirement in sight. And, so, I don't know.
I protest the word more than the actual thing. So, I just want to acknowledge that.”
Even with his long run in Arizona, Fitzgerald said leaving for another organization did cross his mind at one point.
“I would be lying to you if it didn't cross my mind,” Fitzgerald said. “I didn't think about it, maybe even had conversations about it, but never seriously tried to put it in motion. I loved where I was at.”
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Depth Hit They Didnt Need
The Cardinals preseason has already taken on an unwelcome familiar shape, with depth chart shuffling now spilling into the injured reserve list before the regular season has even arrived. Safety Joey Blount and tight end Kenny Yeboah are both out for the year, another reminder that the early weeks of camp and exhibition play can change the roster picture fast for a team trying to sort out its back end and tighten up the middle of the field.
Blounts injury came during a training camp practice, while Yeboah was hurt with a hamstring issue in the Hall of Fame Game, and both losses leave Arizona with fewer options as it works through the rest of the preseason. For a club already dealing with a growing injured reserve group, the timing is less than ideal because every rep matters now, and every missing body forces the Cardinals to lean harder on the remaining depth. [Read more 🡒]
Larry Fitzgeralds Hall Of Fame Moment Came With A Cardinals Twist
Larry Fitzgeralds long-awaited Hall of Fame moment is finally here, with the former Cardinals star set to be enshrined in Canton alongside Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri. Even though he has not played since the 2020 season, Fitzgeralds name still carries a special weight in Arizona, where his career became the standard for professionalism, production and staying power.
What makes the moment feel a little different is the way Fitzgerald has approached life after football. He has not treated the end of his playing days as a clean break, preferring instead to frame it as a transition into whatever comes next. For a player who spent so long defining the Cardinals identity, that open-ended mindset keeps one familiar question hanging in the air even as the Hall of Fame honor arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Beck Just Gave Cardinals Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
Carson Becks first preseason action in a Cardinals uniform gave Arizona plenty to watch in the Hall of Fame Game, and not just because he handled the moment cleanly. Beck went 15 of 19 for 188 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, a sharp enough debut to draw praise from coach Mike LaFleur as a positive step in his development. For a team looking to sort through its quarterback picture and see who can seize momentum early, that kind of efficient start matters.
The attention around Beck has also spilled beyond the field, with a social media clip resurfacing involving his ex-girlfriend Hanna Cavinder and their breakup, which reportedly happened in April 2025. It is the sort of off-field chatter that can follow a young quarterback once he starts drawing notice, especially when his play gives people a reason to keep looking. For the Cardinals, the football part is simple enough: Beck just made himself harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]