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Stateline, NV – At the Caesars Celebrity Pro Am on Thursday at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort, one day before the start of the 2026 American Century Championship (July 10-12 on NBC, NBC Sports Network, and Peacock), I got the chance to ask Larry Fitzgerald about two quarterbacks he knows well.
One is the current QB1 at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, Mason Heintschel. The former 3-star Clay (OR) recruit stepped in for Eli Holstein during his freshman season in 2025 and became the Panthers’ full-time starter by the end of the year.
The other is Kyler Murray, with whom Fitzgerald played during his final two seasons on the Arizona Cardinals and the last two years of his NFL career. Murray is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, who the Minneapolis native Fitzgerald cheered for growing up. Murray is competing with former national championship-winning Michigan Wolverines QB J.J. McCarthy for the Vikings’ starting job this summer.
On how Mason Heintschel can avoid a sophomore slump and continue on an upward trajectory…
“Yeah, just watching the games, he's not one to shy away. He’s a tough dude, and he took some licks last year. It was really inspiring to have a young man who's got some leadership qualities to him like that. And you could tell by the way guys responded to him that they really admire his perspective. Talking to people in the building, he’s a hardworking kind of guy. I’m hoping he can take us to the ACC championship this year.”
On Kyler Murray’s chances to become the Vikings’ starting QB…
“I don't know how it’s been for him this offseason. But I hope he does well. Obviously, I grew up a longtime Vikings fan. I always want to see the organization do well. They've done a great job of reaching into that community. I mean, some of my earliest childhood memories of big brothers and big sisters were organized by the Vikings in the community. So there's always a place in my heart for life, and I want them to do well with whoever they pick.”
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