Larry Fitzgerald is finally getting the farewell Arizona Cardinals fans have waited years to see. But as the franchise prepares to honor its legendary wide receiver, a longtime Cardinals insider criticized the organization.
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“Press conference today for Larry Fitzgerald going into Ring of Honor, jersey retired & getting HOF ring, yet as someone covering team & HOF voter, I can’t be there,” Cardinals insider Howard Balzer wrote on X Friday. “Team should be embarrassed for their thin skin, being petty & vindictive. But they’re not held accountable. Sad.”
Balzer later clarified in another X post that the ban on attending the Fitzgerald press conference was not a one-time restriction. He said the team revoked his CardsWire credentials in March 2025 for all games, practices, media availability, and access to the open locker room. The franchise gave a fabricated explanation, though he believes it was retaliation for his 2024 reporting.
“Team revoked CardsWire credentials for all games, practice, media availability, open locker room in March, 2025, inventing a reason when it was really for what I wrote in 2024,” Balzer wrote in another X post.
The Cardinals’ alleged decision has put a cloud over a weekend intended to honor Fitzgerald’s 17-season career in Arizona. The franchise has not publicly responded to Balzer’s latest accusations.
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is looking forward to a moment he has discussed with owner Michael Bidwill for years. The ceremony was originally planned for an earlier date, but a family commitment forced them to reconsider.
“Fortunately, I have a great relationship with [Owner] Michael [Bidwill] and the family, so this has been something we’ve talked about since the time I left,” Fitzgerald said this week.
Sunday’s timing also allows his son Devin, a wide receiver at Notre Dame, to attend during the Fighting Irish’s bye week. October holds personal significance for Fitzgerald, too.
His mother died of breast cancer in 2003, and he has since supported awareness and charitable efforts connected to the disease. Last year in October, he pledged $1 million to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Arizona, and the facility’s breast health center was renamed after his mother, Carol Fitzgerald.
At halftime of the Cardinals’ game against the Denver Broncos, Fitzgerald will receive his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, enter the team’s Ring of Honor, and have his No. 11 jersey retired. It is not his Hall of Fame induction, which took place in August, but a more personal celebration of his connection with Arizona.
After the 2020 season, Fitzgerald left the game without a real send-off. He joked that his farewell took place over Zoom, since he simply never signed another contract to return to the field.
“I want to say just how much I appreciate the fans,” he said, thanking those who supported him and shared in the memories of his career.
Once the ceremony is complete, Fitzgerald will be the 20th person enshrined in the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor, and only the sixth in franchise history to see his jersey number retired. His career included 1,432 receptions, 17,492 receiving yards, 121 touchdowns, and 11 Pro Bowl selections, according to Pro Football.
The weekend is meant to celebrate that legacy. Instead, Balzer’s allegations have raised questions about the Cardinals’ relationship with a longtime media member.