[11][12] In 1987, after being out of the sport for a year, Fitzgerald was signed by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) during the NFLPA strike.
[13] The Vikings managed to make the playoffs that season, and Fitzgerald and the other replacement players received a bonus despite losing the games they played.
He was invited back to the team in training camp in 1988 and 1989, being given contracts each year, but never made the final roster.
[14][15] In 1991, Fitzgerald was selected by New York in the fifth round with the 42nd pick of the World League of American Football draft, but did not play for the team.
[6] After his retirement from football, Fitzgerald was a defensive coordinator at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.