Larry Fitzgerald praises John McCain in touching open letter

Christmas is a time of giving, and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald took some time to thank Sen. John McCain for what he's given to this country as the 81-year-old senator continues his battle with brain cancer.

Fitzgerald, who has built a friendship with the longtime Arizona senator, praised McCain in a lengthy open letter published by Sports Illustrated.

"When I think about Christmas, and I think about Senator McCain, I think of giving," Fitzgerald wrote. "The sacrifices John McCain has made for our country, and especially the men and women he served with in the military, are incredible. As a prisoner of war in Vietnam he missed six Christmases with his family back home and suffered unbelievable hardship."

McCain was diagnosed with a primary glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor, in July.

Fitzgerald explains while he is not "a political guy," he has developed "so much admiration" for McCain over the years.

The Cardinals wide receiver goes on to say how he even traveled to Vietnam in 2013 and visited the exact jail cell McCain was held in as a prisoner of war for five-and-a-half years.

Fitzgerald ended his tribute acknowledging McCain has a difficult road ahead of him as he continues his battle with brain cancer, but hopes the senator lives "another 20 years."

"Today, my friend, Senator John McCain, again finds himself in a battle. This time it's with cancer, and the treatment he's undergoing is exhausting," Fitzgerald wrote. "I'll wish him a Merry Christmas today, and I pray he lives another 20 years."

Fitzgerald was named Co-Walter Payton Man of the Year last season, alongside Eli Manning. Fitzgerald was honored for his charitable and community work, most notably with his own First Down Foundation and the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund, named after his mother who died of breast cancer in 2016.