Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. We have another one ready, with our Top 50 Arizona Cardinals.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

The most tenured team in the National Football League, the Arizona Cardinals have taken a long road, traversed multiple cities, and seen more hard times than good.

Formed in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club, they would be renamed the Racine Normals for two years before becoming the Racing Cardinals.  Twenty years later, they were charter members of the National Football League as the Chicago Cardinals.

In the Windy City, the franchise won two titles, the first in 1925, disputed by the Pottsville Maroons, but there was no NFL Championship Game back then.  The second title is undisputed, as with their "Million Dollar Backfield," they won the Championship Game in 1947, the last title they have won.

Taking a backseat to the Bears in Chicago, the Cardinals relocated to St. Louis in 1961.  They only made the playoffs thrice in St. Louis and relocated again in 1987, becoming the Phoenix Cardinals.  That name would change again to the Arizona Cardinals, and with Kurt Warner as their Quarterback, they made it to their first Super Bowl in the 2008 Season.  They did not win but appear to have a permanent home in the desert.

Here is the inaugural top five:

1. Larry Wilson
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Charley Trippi
4. Roger Wehrli
5. Dan DIerdo

You can find the entire list here.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, Larry Fitzgerald shattered his accomplishments at the University of Pittsburgh with a spectacular 17-year career that was spent entirely with Arizona.

After a solid rookie year, Fitzgerald broke out in his sophomore season, accumulating 1,409 Yards and 10 Touchdowns.  The 11-time Pro Bowler broke four digits in Yards eight more times and would twice lead the NFL in Touchdown Receptions (2008 & 2009) and Receptions (2005 & 2016).  Fitzgerald was the top weapon for Cardinal Quarterbacks for well over a decade, and had it not been for his work, Arizona would not have made their first Super Bowl, where he had 546 Yards and seven Touchdowns in their four Playoff Games.

Fitzgerald was a legend on the field and was equally so off of it, having won the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2016.

At the time of his retirement, Fitzgerald ranked second in Receptions and Receiving Yards and was sixth in Receiving Touchdowns.  He also holds a myriad of franchise records and receiving records.  He was named to the 2010s All-Decade and 100th Anniversary Team and will soon be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the world of Pro Football, retirements often trickle through many months, sometimes years after a player last appears in an NFL game.  This means that we are constantly adding players, even potential first ballot Hall of Famers to our futures.

Today, we are adding new names for you to vote on in the 2025 and 2026 Football Sections.

Added to 2025 are:

Clay Matthews III:  The third generation of the Matthews clan, was an excellent Linebacker who played most of his career with Green Bay.  A six-time Linebacker, Matthews won the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, and owns a Super Bowl Ring.

Delanie Walker:  Walker blossomed late in his career as a Tight End when he was with the Tennessee Titans, where he went to three Pro Bowls.

Earl Thomas:  Thomas had a great run with the Seattle Seahawks where he won a Super Bowl while earning seven Pro Bowls at Safety.  A three-time First Team All-Pro and two-time Second Team All-Pro, Thomas’ career imploded with the Baltimore Ravens, and his stature within the football community took a pounding that could cost him a Hall of Fame bust.

Eric Reid:  Reid is best known for his solidarity in kneeling with Colin Kaepernick, but the Safety was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2013.

Marcell Dareus:  Dareus won a National Championship in Alabama, and the Defensive Tackle would later go to Pro Bowls when he played for the Bills.

Reshad Jones:  Jones played his entire career with Miami where he went to two Pro Bowls.  The Safety also had three 100 Tackle seasons.

Terrell Suggs:  Suggs was a member of Baltimore’s two Super Bowl winning teams, and he was also named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.  A seven-time Pro Bowl and one-time First Team All-Pro, Suggs had 139 Sacks and is the current all-time leader in Tackles for Loss with 202.

Vontaze Burfict:  Burfict was a controversial figure over his career, which was largely spent in Cincinnati.  The Linebacker went to the Pro Bowl in 2013.

They join Adam Vinatieri, Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib, Brynden Trawick, Cameron Wake, C.J. Anderson, Darren Sproles, DeMaryius Thomas, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Donald Penn, Eli Manning, James Develin, Joe Staley, Jon Condo, Kyle Long, Luke Kuechly, Marshal Yanda, Matt Byant, Michael Bennett, Mike Pouncey, Patrick DiMarco, Patrick Chung, Roosevelt Nix, Ryan Kalil, Travis Frederick, Vernon Davis, Zach Brown and Zak DeOssie.

The entire 2025 list can be found here.

Added to 2026 are:

Dontari Poe:  Poe had a nice career as a Defensive Tackle/Nose Tackle in the NFL, where he went to two Pro Bowls as a Kansas City Chief.

Frank Gore:  The five-time Pro Bowl Running Back compiled 16,000 Rushing Yards, which places him third all-time.  Gore is also currently four in Yards from Scrimmage (19,985), fifth in All-Purpose Yards19,992) and twenty-third in Touchdowns (100).

Golden Tate:  Tate was a Pro Bowler in 2014, with the Wide Receiver also winning a Super Bowl as a Seahawk.

L.P. Ladoucer:  Ladoucer went to the 2014 Pro Bowl, and the Long Snapper was a career Dallas Cowboy.

Larry Fitzgerald:  Fitzgerald was an Arizona Cardinal for his entire pro career, and is second all-time in Receptions (1,432) and Receiving Yards (17,492).  A Pro Bowl Selection three times, the Wide Receiver had 121 Touchdowns, sixth most ever.

Mitchell Schwartz:  A Right Guard who had his best years with Kansas City, Schwartz was a one-time First Team and three-time Second Team All-Pro.  He has a Super Bowl Ring with the Chiefs.

Richie Incognito:  Incognito has a controversial career, but the Offensive Lineman was still a four-time Pro Bowler.

Stephen Gostkowski:  The Place Kicker who replaced Adam Vinatieri in New England had a great career himself, as he won three Super Bowls and was an All-Decade player.

Todd Gurley:  At one time, Gurley was considered one of the best Running Backs, and he was named the 2017 AP Offensive Player of the Year.  He had three Pro Bowls over his career.

They join Alex Smith, Anthony Costanzo, Anthony Sherman, Dez Bryant, Don Mulbach, Drew Brees, Greg Olsen, Jason Witten, Johnathan Joseph, Jordan Reed, Julian Edelman, Jurrell Casey, LeSean McCoy, Malcolm Butler, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Schaub, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Iupati, Phillip Rivers, Sean Lee, Thomas Davis and Tramon Williams

The entire 2026 list can be found here.

We will be presenting the 2027 Football Futures shortly.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank you for your support.

One of the most successful Wide Receivers in the history of Pro Football, Larry Fitzgerald played his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals, where there was no doubt who was the top player in the desert.

Fitzgerald was highly coveted in the 2004 NFL Draft, having dominated in two years at Pittsburgh where he would later have the honor of having his jersey retired.  Taken number 3 Overall that year by the Cardinals, Fitzgerald paid immediate dividends as after a solid rookie year, he took the expected step to greatness as a sophomore

In that second season, Fitzgerald had his first 1,000 Yard season, and he would have eight more after.  While Fitzgerald never led the NFL in Receiving Yards, he was a two-time leader in Receptions and Receiving Yards, and setting every receiving record worth having in Cardinals history.  An 11-time Pro Bowl Selection, Fitzgerald set numerous records, and would have twice as many had it not been for the existence of Jerry Rice.  Fitzgerald was the top star in Arizona for years, and a huge reason that the Cards advanced to their first Super Bowl.

Fitzgerald was named to the NFL 100^th Anniversary Team, a sure sign that he will enter Canton quickly. At the time of his retirement, Fitzgerald was second all-time in Receiving Yards (17,492) and Receptions (1,432) while being sixth in Receiving Touchdowns (121).  As great as he was on the field, Fitzgerald was even held in higher regard off of it, as shown by his 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

There is no doubt that Larry Fitzgerald is one of the great ones.

There has been a lot of speculation of late that Larry Fitzgerald, the free agent Wide Receiver, will be retiring shortly.  If he does, this would make a loaded group of first ballot eligible even stronger, as Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Jason Witten and Maurkice Pouncey have all called it a career in 2020.

Fitzgerald, who is 37, had career-lows last season (54 Receptions, 409 Yards, 1 Touchdown), and after 17 seasons in the National Football League, this might be it.  Playing his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals, Fitzgerald has accumulated 17,492 Receiving Yards, which is second all-time behind Jerry Rice, who is more than 5,000 Yards ahead of him.  Fitzgerald’s 121 Touchdowns are currently sixth all-time.

If Fitzgerald plays in 2021, it won’t likely be with Arizona, who just signed A.J. Green.  In our 2020 pre-season rank of active players with Hall of Fame credentials, Fitzgerald was ranked #5.

We don’t what Fitzgerald will be doing in 2021, but we will always wish him the best at whatever it is.