Thursday, January 24, 2019
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Larry Fitzgerald will return for 16th season
TEMPE, Ariz.
Star receiver Larry Fitzgerald is returning to the Arizona Cardinals for a 16th NFL season.
The Cardinals announced Wednesday that they signed the 35-year-old Fitzgerald to a one-year contract. Team president Michael Bidwell says, “No player has meant more to this franchise or this community than Larry Fitzgerald.”
In the finale of his 15th season, Fitzgerald still looked the part of an NFL wide receiver and exceptional pass catcher with four catches for 36 yards. He caught the 116th touchdown pass of his career and became the third player with at least 1,300 career receptions. He matched the franchise record for career games played with his 234th game in a Cardinals uniform and became the second receiver in league history with 2,000 yards receiving against three different teams, joining Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald’s future was one of the big questions going into the Cardinals’ offseason. Arizona fired coach Steve Wilks and replaced him with former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury.
During his introductory news conference, Kingsbury said he would love to have Fitzgerald on his team but would let the front office figure out whether the 11-time Pro Bowler was coming back.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Brian Flores expected to become head coach
MIAMI
New England Patriots defensive play-caller Brian Flores is taking a break from his Super Bowl preparations to meet with the Miami Dolphins, who are expected to hire him as head coach after the title game.
The meeting Wednesday was Flores’ second with the Dolphins. He was the first candidate interviewed for the job by owner Stephen Ross and general manager Chris Grier on Jan. 4, and they targeted him a week later as their choice to succeed Adam Gase.
No agreement can become final until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, when Flores’ defense will be tested by the NFC’s highest-scoring team, the Los Angeles Rams.
Flores has begun work to assemble a staff, and front-runners include former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as assistant head coach and Packers assistant Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator. Some Dolphins assistants are expected to be retained.
Gase was fired after going 7-9 in his third season with Miami.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Kicker Greg Zuerlein listed with foot issue
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.
Kicker Greg Zuerlein appears on the Los Angeles Rams’ first injury report before the Super Bowl.
Zuerlein is listed with a foot injury on the report distributed Wednesday by the Rams, who had the day off.
The right-footed Zuerlein was spotted with a walking boot on his left foot Monday after the Rams returned from New Orleans, but coach Sean McVay said the Rams didn’t pick up any serious injuries while winning the NFC championship game.
NEW YORK JETS
Dowell Loggains new coordinator/QBs coach
FLORHAM PARK, N.J.
The New York Jets have hired former Dolphins assistant Dowell Loggains as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Loggains is reunited with Jets coach Adam Gase after serving as Miami’s offensive coordinator last season under the then-Dolphins head coach.
The 38-year-old Loggains also worked with Gase in Chicago in 2015 as the Bears’ QBs coach before taking over the offense the following season when Gase left for Miami.
During Gase’s introduction as Jets coach last Monday, he said he will call the plays for New York’s offense.
Associated Press