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The Arizona Cardinals have signed center Hjalte Froholdt to a two-year, $12 million contract extension, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The deal features $8 million in guaranteed money and locks in a key member of Kyler Murray's offensive line through the 2026 season.
Froholdt started all 17 games for the Cardinals last year after bouncing around the NFL to start his career. Rapoport labels the 28-year-old as one of Arizona's most “underrated” players. PFF ranks Froholdt as the 19th-best center in the NFL heading into the season after his 64.1 grade placed him 17th among centers in 2023.
Froholdt and the Cardinals are looking to take a step forward in 2024 under second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. Arizona went 4-13 last season in Gannon's first year as coach.
Hjalte Froholdt's career
The New England Patriots selected Hjalte Froholdt in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, making him the second native of Denmark to be drafted into the league. The Danish center missed his entire rookie campaign due to a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason.
Froholdt made his first official NFL appearance in 2020 and played eight games for the Patriots that season, but he was waived in November of that year. He was claimed by the Houston Texans but didn't play a game for them and ultimately was signed off their practice squad by the Cleveland Browns in 2021.
The offensive lineman began to make a name for himself with the Browns, appearing in six games in 2021 and then playing in all 17 games in 2022, with six starts. That earned him a two-year contract from the Cardinals in 2023, and his solid performance last season has now earned him this extension.
Kyler Murray's Cardinals
Kyler Murray's Cardinals career has been a bit of a roller coaster. After a promising start as the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, he has since been derailed by injuries in recent seasons. The 27-year-old played in just eight games in 2023, throwing for 1,799 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions to go along with 244 rushing yards and three scores. He was sacked 18 times in those eight games.
Keeping Murray upright and healthy is of the utmost importance to Arizona, and Froholdt will play a key role in that on an improved offensive line that saw additions in Evan Brown and Jonah Williams, plus a move of Paris Johnson Jr. from right to left tackle. The Cardinals also made a big splash to help the offense by drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall, so Murray needs time to get him the ball and get the offense humming again like it was earlier in his career.
