ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Larry Fitzgerald might be becoming the Jerry Rice of current receivers -- not only for his on-field production but also for his reputation as a diligent worker and relentless trainer.

Sportsradiointerviews.com provides this quote from Packers receiver Greg Jennings, one of Fitzgerald's workout partners this offseason:

"This guy, the reason he's so good is his work ethic. His work ethic is second to none. I don't really talk about guys like this. This guy has earned everything he has gotten and accomplished. I mean, this morning he texted me and said, 'I'm a grinder, I'm working harder than you.' I ran 21 10s. I mean, that's how competitive he is. Every day he's been texting me about what he's doing, if I'm doing something. I mean, I thought I worked hard.

"I went up there [to Minnesota] and I'm like, 'You really opened my eyes, really opened my eyes.' I worked hard but he really pushes himself to the limit, to the max. And it's like, you don't find guys that are that well on top but are still climbing to get higher and higher. I just can't say enough about this guy and I don't really put guys on that pedestal, but he is deserving of everything he gets."

The way Jennings pointed out that he wasn't blowing smoke seemed credible and made his comments all the more powerful. Fitzgerald did work to improve his game last offseason. I sense he's taking it to another level after seeing the results of his efforts.