The Arizona Cardinals don’t seem to believe Father Time will get to Larry Fitzgerald and Carson Palmer any time soon. The franchise has reportedly extended one-year contracts to both players, which locks Palmer up through 2018 and Fitzgerald through 2017, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Cardinals later confirmed the move, as relayed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
The #AZCardinals also announced an extension for WR Larry Fitzgerald through the 2017 season — so one more year pic.twitter.com/EU6M8qzElB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 5, 2016
Palmer, 36, is coming off his best year as a pro. He started all 16 games and led the Cardinals to the second round of playoff action last year, losing to the Carolina Panthers at home in heartbreaking fashion. During the regular season, he passed for 4,671 yards with 35 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions.
He was rewarded with some serious extra cash, per Albert Breer of The MMQB.
As @AdamSchefter said, Cards QB Carson Palmer had a year added to his deal. Per source, AZ gave him $24.5M in new $$, $22.5M in guarantees.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 5, 2016
If you fold in the two existing years of Palmer's deal, he's due to make $43.5 million thru 2018. He'll turn 39 at the end of that season.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 5, 2016
Fitzgerald, 32, had a huge season playing with Palmer, catching 109 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns.
The two of them are the clear leaders of what is otherwise quite a young offensive unit that looks to once again be one of the most dangerous in the NFL.
For Palmer, this means the Cardinals have confidence that he will remain healthy. A quarterback who has torn his ACL twice in the past, Palmer’s health was one of the biggest question marks heading into last year.
For Fitzgerald, this deal almost surely means he will retire as a member of the Cardinals organization. It couldn’t happen to a better guy, as Fitzpatrick has been one of the true role models on and off the field for Arizona and the rest of the league since his arrival in 2004 as a rookie out of Pittsburgh.