Over at NFL.com, Senior writer Pat Kirwan wrote an article about current players that are NFL Hall of Fame shoe-ins and those that have a chance to make it. On the list were two current Cardinals - and I'll give you a hint: Larry Fitzgerald was not one of them. First was a brief mention of Kurt Warner.
The careers of quarterback Kurt Warner and left tackle Walter Jones came to an end this offseason, and I believe their bodies of work will get them into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Offensive guard Alan Faneca was on the list of, 'Close, but not confirmed'.
Alan Faneca, G, Cardinals: Faneca has long been considered an elite guard. He's played in nine Pro Bowls during his 12-year career, which includes eight straight seasons with 16 starts.
And on the list of, 'At this pace, they have a shot', Kirwan listed three wide receivers not named Larry.
1. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans: In seven seasons, Johnson has 587 receptions for 7,948 yards and 42 touchdowns. To go along with that production, he's a high-character guy. Johnson can boast to being the only player besides Rice to lead the NFL in receiving back-to-back seasons since the merger. Johnson is on pace for more than 1,000 receptions, but he has to pick up the pace on touchdowns, averaging just six per year.
4. Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts: His numbers are starting to pile up with Marvin Harrison out of the picture. In nine seasons, he has 676 receptions and 63 touchdowns. He should get to over 1,000 receptions and 100 touchdowns, but that may not be enough as receiving numbers are exploding.
7. Brandon Marshall, WR, Dolphins: The guy has more than 100 receptions in each of the last three seasons and if the 26-year-old can keep his head on straight, he could wind up with well over 1,000 receptions. His yards per catch and touchdowns are not on pace with Moss or Owens, though.
Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson have proven something in the league and have validated their chances to be in the Hall of Fame one day, but Marshall? He's only been in the league four seasons and did not make an impact his rookie season. Throw in all the problems he's experienced in his short career and I see no reason to include him ahead of 'Fitz'. I dug up stats for all four wide receivers since 2004 (Fitzgerald's rookie season).
| Name | Rec | R/G | Yards | Y/G | Y/C | TD | GP | Age | PB |
| Larry Fitzgerald | 523 | 5.7 | 7,067 | 76.8 | 13.5 | 59 | 92 | 26 | 4 |
| Andre Johnson | 521 | 6.0 | 6,972 | 81.1 | 13.3 | 38 | 86 | 28 | 4 |
| Reggie Wayne | 532 | 5.4 | 7,494 | 78.0 | 14.1 | 52 | 96 | 31 | 4 |
| Brandon Marshall | 327 | 5.5 | 4,019 | 65.9 | 12.3 | 25 | 45 | 26 | 2 |
What surprises me most is that Fitzgerald leads Johnson in almost every category except for yards per game and receptions per game - some compelling stats next time we discuss who's better. Reggie Wayne has come on strong the last few seasons with the help of another future Hall of Fame'er, Peyton Manning. I'll conclude that Kirwan either completely forgot about Larry or he has no respect for him. Color me confused.