Larry Fitzgerald’s road to Canton has a strange little hinge point in it, and on Thursday night that hinge was back on the field.
The Cardinals fell 33-30 to the Panthers on a last-second touchdown run by rookie quarterback Haynes King, according to NFL.com, but the score wasn’t the real hook in the Hall of Fame Game. The real connection belonged to veteran referee Craig Wrolstad, the same official tied to one of the most famous calls in Arizona history.
Arizona Cardinals Senior Vice President of Media Relations Mark Dalton pointed it out on X, noting that Wrolstad was the rookie field judge in 2003 when he made the forceout ruling on Josh McCown’s final-play throw to Nate Poole. That call turned Arizona’s 18-17 win over Minnesota into a result that knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs, sent Green Bay to the NFC North title, and changed the Cardinals’ draft position.
“Tonight’s HOF game referee is veteran Craig Wrolstad,” Dalton posted on X. “As rookie (field judge) in 2003 had forceout call on Josh McCown to Nate Poole TD on final play of reg season that put MIN out of playoffs & GB in. Also took AZs 2004 1st Rd pick from 1 to 3 & became … ’26 HOFer @LarryFitzgerald.”
Back on December 28, 2003, the Cardinals were 3-12 and just trying to get through the season. Arizona needed the loss for draft purposes, but McCown found Poole in the end zone on the final snap.
Wrolstad ruled Poole had been pushed out before the catch, which under the forceout rule at the time meant the play stood as a touchdown. The Cardinals won, the Vikings were done, and the Packers slipped into the division crown.
That one ruling had a major draft ripple. If Arizona had lost, it would have held the No. 1 pick in 2004.
Instead, the victory pushed the Cardinals down to No. 3.
The Chargers used the top pick on Eli Manning and later dealt him to the Giants for Philip Rivers and additional draft capital. Oakland took offensive tackle Robert Gallery at No.
- Arizona, sitting at No. 3, selected Fitzgerald out of Pittsburgh.
Fitzgerald’s Arizona career turned that draft twist into franchise history. He scored eight touchdowns as a rookie, then reached double digits in touchdown catches four times over the next five seasons, including 12 in 2008 and 13 in 2009. He made 11 Pro Bowls in 17 seasons, all with the Cardinals, and finished his career second all-time in NFL history in both receptions and receiving yards.
Two days before his enshrinement, Fitzgerald also made it clear he still doesn’t use the word “retired,” even though he last played in 2020.
“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.”
He pushed back again when the word came up. “Retired?
What do you mean retired?” he said.
“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.”
Fitzgerald spent all 17 of his NFL seasons with Arizona, and he admitted staying put was something he considered. “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.”
He now heads into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 alongside Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig. The ceremony is set for Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Fitzgerald and Brees are both first-ballot selections, and Fitzgerald was a unanimous choice among voters covering his generation of receivers, trailing only Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time list.
So Thursday’s referee assignment in Canton came with a little extra history attached. Wrolstad has spent more than two decades officiating since that 2003 call. This weekend, the same official who helped alter Arizona’s path will be on hand as Fitzgerald takes his place in the Hall.
And while Canton is the big stage, Arizona still has camp business to handle. The Cardinals are working through position battles that fantasy managers are already following, per ClutchPoints, and they got a scare when defensive lineman Walter Nolen left practice with a knee tweak. Head coach Mike LaFleur downplayed the concern, according to ClutchPoints, with Nolen still projected as a starter at defensive tackle heading into the season.
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The next step, though, is a tougher one to define. Carolinas playoff loss to the Rams was close, but it also exposed how quickly things can tilt when the offensive line is banged up and the running game never really settles in. Young has already shown he can help lift the floor, and now the question is whether he can help steady a team that may need even more from its quarterback as the pieces around him continue to shift. [Read more 🡒]