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Larry Fitzgerald's return, and what it means

Fitz's future remains on the field.

We know that now, after the wide receiver let his new head coach know Wednesday night and then Steve Wilks told the world Thursday morning. The speculation had been going on for weeks, and even in the times Fitz talked about it, he sounded like someone who wasn't ready to retire but there was always that little thought that he still might. That's what happens when you don't say you are playing for sure.

But that's a question to park until next November/December (and yes, it's going to come up again then, unless, of course, Fitz makes some definitive statement before that time.) What this news means now has a few levels to it:

-- The Cardinals keep their best wide receiver. The wide receiver corps has a ton of questions around it. John Brown, Jaron Brown and Brittan Golden are scheduled to become free agents in a month. J.J. Nelson had times when he shined last season, but times when the Cards wanted more consistency. Chad Williams, 2017's third-round pick, remains a question mark. Plus there will be a new offense. The Cards need to address the position this offseason. That doesn't change even with Fitz's return, but his presence makes any transition that much easier.

-- He made the decision before knowing who the quarterback will be, and that's a sign of belief in the franchise, if nothing else. It's not like the Cardinals can make any QB moves at this point. Fitz has caught passes from 17 quarterbacks in his 14 years after Blaine Gabbert joined the group last season, so he knows what it's like to be flexible. "I've had some years in Arizona where things weren't always easy, but they've always done a good job of addressing that position, and they're trying to," he said last month. Faith reigns.

-- He entrusted the news to Wilks, which feels like a sign of respect. Look, Fitz doesn't love this storyline, he doesn't like talking about his status one way or the other (his retirement news, whenever it comes, is going to be absent a live Fitz as well, I'm guessing, since he's all but promised as much). I'm still not sure he's met Wilks face-to-face, even. But Fitz flew off to New Zealand and told his new coach to tell everyone, and that bodes well for the relationship.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) during an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 23-0. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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