Larry Fitzgerald is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But don’t expect him to call himself ‘retired.’ Despite ending his NFL career and confirming that he won’t return to the field as an active player in February 2022, the legendary wide receiver is yet to ‘officially’ call it a career. Turns out, he has a reason for not using this word.

“I have officially transitioned from the game,” 42-year-old Fitzgerald corrected Dan Katz after being pressed about his retirement status on the Pardon My Take podcast. 

“Retirement is what I look at as a 70-year-old sitting in the panhandle of Florida, with their feet in the sand. That’s not my jam, you know? I’m just transitioning to something different than what I did before. So, I don’t even like using the word ‘retired’. My grandfather, he told me that retirement kills more people than anything in the country.”

Upon clarification by the hosts, Fitzgerald admitted that he was scared of the word. He took a similar stance when talking about walking away from the game in 2022.

“I didn’t feel like I should say I was retiring because that’s not what I was doing,” Fitzgerald told azcardinals.com. “I’m simply just turning the page to the next chapter of my life. 

Fitzgerald is among those players who deserve a proper send-off. Arguably one of the best wide receivers in NFL history, the former Cardinals WR was simply sublime when he took the field. Fitzgerald finished his career with 17,492 yards, the second-highest total in the all-time list. The WR unfortunately never won a Super Bowl, but he did feature in 11 Pro Bowls.

Fitzgerald last played in the 2020 season, which also didn’t create the right setting for his farewell. Games were played in empty stadiums, with heaps of restrictions to follow. Perhaps it was all for the best.

Nevertheless, Fitzgerald has transitioned into a different role, rather than retiring altogether. Even before hanging up his cleats, he was laying the groundwork for his second act. He partnered with Jim Gray and Tom Brady as a co-host for the ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast. Fitzgerald has also worked with ESPN as an analyst, covering Monday Night Countdown, NFL playoffs, and more. 

The former WR won the Heisman Humanitarian Award in 2025 and is also a Henry Crown Fellow. He’s also a venture investor, supporting businesses across various avenues.

Fitzgerald may never fully embrace the word ‘retirement,’ and his post-NFL life helps explain why. Between business ventures, sports ownership, and philanthropic work, the Cardinals icon has remained as busy as ever.