You may have caught the article that Greg Esposito wrote after getting an exclusive interview with Larry Fitzgerald. You may recall that Greg was once a contributor here on RotB before moving on to KTAR. In his article writeup about what he and Fitz talked about, it comes across as if to tell us fans that we don't need to worry about Fitz leaving after the 2011 season.
The is partially right, but it is not anything new for us.
Fitzgerald has said before that he wants to stay. Darren Urban has reported that. Michael Bidwill has told us this and that the organization "will get it done."
This tells me nothing. I know he is a big believer in Ken Whisenhunt. The interview tells us this again. Here is what he said:
"I believe that coach Whisenhunt is the right man for the job and I want to play for him. I enjoy working for Michael Bidwill and his family. I don't want to go anywhere."
Again, we have heard this before. The thing is, we shouldn't feel any more confident than before. I am fairly certain that a deal will get done, but it isn't likely going to happen before some of the other team issues are addressed.
If there is one thing Fitz wants to do, it is win. He doesn't want to go anywhere, but he didn't say that he wouldn't. Amare Stoudemire said the exact thing last summer before signing a $100 million dollar contract with the new York Knicks.
Now, I am not trying to fabricate panic. I just want to be realistic. He still could go. If things go awry in this offseason after the lockout, he might not sign an extension right away. If things are ugly in 2011 like they were in 2010 and he hasn't gotten that deal done, all bets are off.
Will he play in Arizona after 2011? I think so. But let us not consider it a given. It is far from it.