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With Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald approaching a new league year that will entail a cap number of $23.6 million, a “mutual parting” is possible. In a Tuesday appearance on NBCSN, Fitzgerald chose his words in a way suggesting that he’s already gone.

“I truly enjoyed my time playing for the Arizona Cardinals, really enjoyed my relationship with Bruce Arians and his coaching staff, truly been a pleasure to play in the NFL for as long as I have been able to but obviously there’s business that needs to be taken care of,” Fitzgerald told Paul Burmeister of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN. “Hopefully we can address it here in the near future.”

The Cardinals and Fitzgerald’s agent reportedly are negotiating a new deal. During the regular season, PFT reported that the Cardinals won’t cut Fitzgerald. G.M. Steve Keim thereafter said the team already has worked the cash and cap budget to keep Fitzgerald.

He could still be traded, but the team privately insists he won’t be released. The strategy could be to force him to jeopardize his “nice guy” image by hoarding cash and cap space at a time when his skills may not justify the investment.