THE APEX TIMES
Larry Fitzgerald’s long-delayed goodbye is finally set: Cardinals to honor him at halftime vs. Broncos
The Cardinals will recognize Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald with a Hall of Fame ring, entry into the Ring of Honor, and retirement of his No. 11 during halftime of Sunday’s game against Denver.
The Cardinals will give Larry Fitzgerald the “goodbye” fans have wanted for years, with a triple-honors ceremony planned for halftime of the team’s game against the Denver Broncos. Fitzgerald will receive his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, be inducted into the Cardinals Ring of Honor, and have his iconic No. 11 retired during the same halftime window.
Fitzgerald said the ceremony’s timing reflects how the farewell never lined up cleanly during his final seasons, including how public-facing plans were disrupted around the COVID-19 era. He also described his induction speech in Canton as brief compared to what he expects for this Cardinals-only moment at NFL halftime.
The team has aimed at this recognition before. Fitzgerald said the Cardinals tried to put him into the Ring of Honor three years earlier, but a family issue prevented the earlier date from happening.
Cardinals officials also tied Sunday’s schedule to a personal and family-friendly logistics point. Fitzgerald said the chosen timing includes Notre Dame’s football bye week so his eldest son, Devin Fitzgerald, a wide receiver at the school, can travel to Arizona for the festivities.
Fitzgerald will be the 20th member of the Cardinals Ring of Honor. The team also framed him as the first player to enter the Ring of Honor since Carson Palmer in 2019, and it positions No. 11 retirement as one of a small group of franchise numbers honored in this way.
For the game context, Fitzgerald emphasized that this will be a direct Cardinals experience, not a league-wide Hall of Fame event. He expects a short, halftime-appropriate presentation, and he underscored that there will still be an NFL contest to play.
The Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, speaking ahead of the weekend, described the “aura” Fitzgerald brings and how that presence continues to register inside the building as the ceremony approaches.
Why It Matters
- This answers the central question of the long-awaited farewell: the Cardinals will deliver it on their own halftime stage, pairing three major honors in one appearance.
- The ceremony places Fitzgerald at the center of a franchise identity moment, with the club leaning on “Cardinals-only” symbolism rather than replicating a Canton-style event.
- For the current roster, the timing provides a shared, in-stadium reference point to franchise standards, with players like Jacoby Brissett describing Fitzgerald’s presence and credibility.
- The date also shows how the Cardinals balanced franchise tradition with family attendance priorities, including accommodating Fitzgerald’s ties to Notre Dame through his son’s availability.
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Key Facts
- Larry Fitzgerald will be honored at halftime of the Cardinals’ game against the Denver Broncos.
- The ceremony includes Fitzgerald receiving his Hall of Fame ring, induction into the Cardinals Ring of Honor, and retirement of his No. 11.
- Fitzgerald said the earlier path to Ring of Honor recognition was disrupted, including a planned induction three years ago that was delayed due to a family issue.
- Fitzgerald said Sunday’s date was selected in part so his son Devin Fitzgerald, a wide receiver at Notre Dame, could attend during the school’s football bye week.
- Cardinals officials said Fitzgerald will become the 20th member of the Ring of Honor and the first player inducted since Carson Palmer (2019).
- The Cardinals described No. 11 retirement as one of only six retired numbers for players in franchise history.