Former All-Pro WR Larry Fitzgerald Takes Shot at Lions

The Detroit Lions officially lost their loser label after defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. The victory improved the Lions to 11-4 and clinched the team’s first division title since 1993.

However, former All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald suggested the Lions still have something to prove to him.

Fitzgerald took a dig at the Lions on the newest episode of Sirius XM Radio’s “Lets Go” NFL recap show, as he essentially argued that the Lions aren’t a real Super Bowl contender.

“Look, you can say that I’m the Grinch right now, but a team that hasn’t won a division championship since 1993, it’s hard for you to take them serious,” Fitzgerald said, via SI.com’s All Lions’ John Maakaron. “It’s just been a long time coming. Yes, they’re playing really well, but they are the Detroit Lions.

“It’s just tough to get excited about what they can do in the playoffs. You want to see this great matchup they have against the Cowboys. It’s a wonderful test before they go into the playoffs.”

Larry Fitzgerald Disrespects Lions Despite Own Experience Playing for Losing NFL Franchise

Of all the retired Hall of Fame or soon-to-be Hall of Fame players, it’s quite surprising that Fitzgerald was the one doubting the Lions.

Fitzgerald received first-hand experience playing for an historically bad NFL franchise, so one would think he’d be sensitive to the kind of argument he made. He spent his entire 17-year career with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals are the only team in NFL history with more losses than the Lions. Arizona also has a worse all-time win percentage than Detroit.

Given that experience with the Cardinals, it’s surprising Fitzgerald was critical of Detroit’s past failures. Fitzgerald should also know better than anyone that history doesn’t have much of an impact on a team’s current Super Bowl chances.

From 1976-2007, the Cardinals experienced an even longer division title drought than the Lions just went through — 32 years. Fitzgerald and the Cardinals broke through with an NFC West crown in 2008.

No one took that team very seriously in the playoffs. But the Cardinals finished 35 seconds shy of winning the Super Bowl.

Despite their lack of recent playoff success, the 2023 Lions appear more than capable of going on a similar deep playoff run.

Jared Goff Says ‘America’s Team’ Label Doesn’t Matter in Week 17 Matchup

If Fitzgerald’s dig on the Lions is an indication of anything, it signals that there probably won’t be a team scared about going into Ford Field to face the Lions in the NFC playoffs.

The Lions, though, aren’t nervous about facing the Dallas Cowboys on the road in Week 17. The Cowboys hold one of the most signature nicknames in sports, “America’s Team.”

But Lions quarterback Jared Goff argued that reputation won’t help the Cowboys on December 30.

“Well, that’s certainly their nickname, right? I don’t know if that means anything,” Goff told reporters on December 26. “I didn’t play them in the ‘90s when they got that nickname. But, they’re a great team and have been a great team for a long time, and have a lot of really good players and are really well coached.”

Fitzgerald’s argument seems to imply otherwise. He is taking the Cowboys more seriously in this year’s postseason than the Lions because of Dallas’ historic success.

But the Lions will have a chance to prove they are the more serious Super Bowl contender in Week 17.