The moment, Fitz said, boiled up when Mike Phillips was playing the national anthem in Atlanta before the NFC Championship game between the Falcons and Packers. The Cardinals wide receiver said he was "just into it."

"I was sitting there and the fire was burning," Fitzgerald said. "I wanted to be out there."

That's what told Fitz he needed to play again in 2017, something he announced last week.

"I called (Bruce Arians), I said, 'Coach, I've got that itch,' " Fitzgerald said the other night, after he was awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year. "He was like, 'Don't rush, don't make a hasty decision. Take your time.' We talked again, I had dinner with Coach (Friday) night. I love that man, I love playing for him, he brings a great energy to our team and a toughness that is contagious."

That's what Arians had predicted, that the players would eventually have that itch. (Of course, when Arians said that, it was after the NFC Championship game and after Fitz said he was "pretty sure" he knew his decision, so B.A. was working with inside information.) Fitzgerald acknowledged all the things expected to have impacted his wavering about playing in the first place -- feeling "pretty bad" after the season both physically and psychologically.

Spending time in Houston last week wasn't ideal either.

"It sucks coming here (to the Super Bowl) and enjoying the pageantry of the event but not actually participating in the event," Fitzgerald said. "It's not the same. We all play for that. Hopefully we get off to a fast start and get it going this year."

The Cardinals are waiting to hear from quarterback Carson Palmer about his status for 2017, but at this point it feels like a foregone conclusion Palmer will indeed play.

"We all hope that Carson comes back, not to put any pressure on him," Fitzgerald said. "But we are a very, very good team when Carson is playing quarterback for us."