Breaking: Top 40 Pick Signs Contract With Arizona Cardinals

Will Hernandez, Arizona Cardinals, Agree to Contract

After two promising seasons with the team, Will Hernandez entered the 2024 season as the Cardinals starting right guard for the third straight year. While he got off to a solid start, a Week 5 knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers prematurely ended his season. In his absence, the Arizona Cardinals missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

Will Hernandez originally entered the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Selected by the New York Giants, the Texas-El Paso product began his career on a high note. Starting in all 16 games, Hernandez finished his inaugural season with an impressive 67.9 PFF grade, the 21st-best mark out of 77 eligible players.

Hernandez continued starting in 2022 and the early portion of 2023 but struggled to recapture his rookie form as the Giants faltered while Daniel Jones replaced Eli Manning. His career trajectory continued to spiral after suffering an injury midway through the 2023 season and being relegated to backup work once he returned to the field.

Despite his struggles, Will Hernandez regained his starting job for the final year of his Giants contract. While he started and played in all 17 games, he couldn’t land a long-term deal and had to settle for a one-year agreement with the Arizona Cardinals. Fortunately, he proved himself by having a strong season, protecting Kyler Murray while ranking 30th out of 77 guards in PFF grade.

This earned him a two-year extension and he played through the entire deal. Since entering the league, the former second-round pick has appeared in 97 games while making 91 starts, although he is still looking for his first postseason appearance.