when did larry fitzgerald retire

Larry Fitzgerald has never made a formal, official retirement announcement, but he effectively stepped away from the NFL after the 2020 season and has since said he does not plan to return.

Quick Scoop

• Larry Fitzgerald’s last NFL season was 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals.

• He chose not to play in the 2021 season, which was widely seen as the start of his de facto retirement.

• On February 16, 2022, he publicly acknowledged that he was not planning to play in the NFL again, even though he still stopped short of using the word “retire.”

• Fitzgerald has explained that he sees his post‑football life as “turning the page” rather than a traditional retirement and intentionally avoided a big retirement announcement.

So, when did Larry Fitzgerald “retire”?

If you’re looking for a simple date:

• Practical answer (on-field): He effectively retired after the 2020 NFL season , since he has not played since then.

• Public acknowledgment: By February 2022 , he had clearly stated he was not coming back to play, which most fans and media treat as his retirement point.

Because he never filed formal retirement papers with the same fanfare as many stars, you’ll often see phrases like “hasn’t officially retired, but his playing days are over.”

Latest news and what he’s doing now

• Fitzgerald has moved into media, including working with ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown starting in 2022.

• He’s heavily involved in business ventures and philanthropy and describes this phase as the next chapter of his life, not a traditional retirement.

In interviews, he’s said he “had a great run” and wouldn’t change anything about his career, reinforcing that his focus is now fully off the field.

TL;DR: Larry Fitzgerald last played in 2020 and by February 2022 had made it clear he was done playing, even though he has never staged a formal “retirement” announcement.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.