Legendary Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was one of five former players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this month. That he was inducted as a first-ballot entry should have been a surprise to no one. One of the best wide receivers in NFL history, Fitzgerald played his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals, who took him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He finished his career with 1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards, second only to Jerry Rice in each category. His 121 touchdown catches rank sixth all-time. There is no doubting Fitzgerald's ability on the field and his place as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. But fans within Broncos Country will surely doubt his ability to predict games. Last week, the Cardinals announced that Fitzgerald will have his No. 11 jersey retired and he will be placed in the Cardinals' Ring of Honor during the team's Week 7 game on October 25th. Their opponent that week happens to be the Denver Broncos. Following that announcement, Fitzgerald had this to say on social media: "I can't wait to celebrate with you all in October and witness a Broncos beatdown."
I can't wait to celebrate with you all in October and witness a @Broncos beatdown. 😁 — Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) August 10, 2026 It's hard to knock Fitzgerald for backing the team he spent his entire professional life with, but this certainly falls under the category of bold predictions. Anything can happen in the NFL, but the Broncos are projected to be one of the league's best teams in 2026, and the Cardinals are arguably one of the worst. This could give the Cardinals some extra motivation to be up for this game, but it could also give Broncos fans extra incentive to make the short trip to State Farm Stadium and fill it with as much orange and blue as possible that day. As a side note, the Cardinals have beaten the Broncos just once in 12 previous tries, with that win coming back in 2010. This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Larry Fitzgerald predicts ‘Broncos beatdown’ vs. Cardinals in October