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| Republic of Arizona
Veteran Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has tested his position for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday’s game at the Patriots, according to a report from Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
Garafolo and Pelissero, citing an anonymous source, provided no further details. The Cardinals did not immediately release an announcement regarding the news, and it was unclear whether Fitzgerald could have taken a false positive test.
On Tuesday, the Cardinals announced they had placed security Deionte Thompson on the reserve / COVID-19 list, which means he has tested positive for the virus or has come into close contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19.
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said on Wednesday the team was fairly confident, due to contract tracing protocols, that Thompson would be the only player on the reserve / COVID-19 roster, saying : “We feel pretty good about where you are now.
Fitzgerald, 37, hasn’t missed a game since the 2014 season, when an MCL sprain ended his streak of 110 games played. He missed two games that year. Previously, he last missed a game in Week 13 of the 2007 season.
Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium would only mark the seventh time he has missed a game in his 17-year career.
If Fitzgerald doesn’t play, it would likely mean more opportunities for Andy Isabella, Trent Sherfield or maybe KeeSean Johnson. Kyler Murray’s two main goals will be DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk.
In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Fitzgerald said he was looking forward to getting off to a good start against the Patriots and longtime coach Bill Belichick. The Cardinals (6-4), after all, have scored a touchdown only once this season on their opening possession of a game.
It’ll be good to get the football moving, get off and put together a great seven to eight game practice just to really set the game up and get us in the driver’s seat early rather than just doing it when we’re on the job. back. are against the wall, ”he said. “I would love to have that head start with you when you go out on the pitch.
“There is no better time to start than this week. Let’s go out and score points in the first quarter and continue the assault. That would be great.”
Fitzgerald is second on the team in receptions (43) behind Hopkins (72) and he is third for the club in receiving yards (336). He’s yet to catch a touchdown this season.
Selected 11 Pro Bowl times, Fitzgerald ranks second in NFL history in career receptions (1,421) and receiving yards (17419) and is sixth with 120 touchdown receptions. He has caught at least one assist in 254 straight games, the second-longest such streak in league history.
During his video chat with reporters on Wednesday, Fitzgerald spoke about what it was like for the NFL to continue playing despite frequent spikes in positive COVID-19 testing throughout the league during the ongoing pandemic.
“We are all very grateful that we can do what we do,” he said. “If you had told me in June that we would be here in week 11 or 12 of the season and still ride as a league, I would have told you it’s probably 50-50 with everything going on .
“We’re clearly not out of the water with the way things are going, but grateful to be able to come here and do the work that we do and to be with the men that I am and happy to have friends. and healthy family. We knew that many Americans have suffered in recent months and our thoughts and prayers are with them as a team and an organization.
“I just hope everyone has a good vacation.”
Got an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Contact McManaman at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to it live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch.
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