Bruce Arians not trying to lobby Larry Fitzgerald to return

Losing Larry Fitzgerald to retirement would be a big blow to the Arizona Cardinals, but coach Bruce Arians isn’t in his ear trying to get him to return.

Arians said he doesn’t intend to try to sway Fitzgerald one way or another, but he and the organization would obviously prefer that he return.

“I’m not in it,” Arians said of Fitzgerald’s decision-making process, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “That’s strictly a personal thing for Larry to decide. Does he want to continue to be the warrior that he is, how his body feels, does he want to continue to train and do all of those things to come back and try to get that championship? “Obviously I have my fingers crossed that he does, but there’s nothing I can do to be a part of that decision.”

Quarterback Carson Palmer is also staying out of Fitzgerald’s way.

“That’s his decision to make,” Palmer said. “There’s a lot of things I’m sure going through his head, and it’s his choice.”

Running back David Johnson has been in Fitzgerald’s ear about returning, but doesn’t have any idea which way he’s leaning.

“I don’t know anything about Fitz,” Johnson said. “I’ve never really spoken to him about that. It’s more of just what is going on now in the season.”

Fitzgerald hasn’t given a firm answer as to his future. Nobody within the organization seems to know which way he’s leaning, either.