Cardinals to retire Fitzgerald's No. 11 and induct him into Ring of Honor

The Arizona Cardinals announced on August 10 that they will retire Larry Fitzgerald's No. 11 jersey and induct the Hall of Fame wide receiver into the team's Ring of Honor this season. The ceremony is scheduled for the Cardinals' home game against the Denver Broncos. The announcement came two days after Fitzgerald's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, where he delivered what was widely described as a heartfelt speech capping a career that made him the defining figure in Cardinals franchise history.

Fitzgerald spent his entire NFL career in Arizona, setting franchise records across major receiving categories and becoming one of the most productive wide receivers of his generation. The retirement of his number is a formal acknowledgment of what Cardinals fans have long understood: no player is more synonymous with the franchise.

The timing places the celebration against a backdrop of significant organizational turbulence. Arizona finished 3-14 in 2025, closed the season on a nine-game losing streak, and has since navigated a front-office gambling suspension, legal issues involving a player, and mounting injury attrition heading into the new year. The current wide receiver corps carries just two players with meaningful playing time — a stark contrast to the standard Fitzgerald set for more than a decade at the position. The Ring of Honor moment is a genuine one; the roster questions surrounding it are equally real.