Cardinals sign OL Will Hernandez to one-year deal

Will Hernandez found his second home in the NFL. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the guard is signing with the Cardinals (Twitter link). A team announcement confirmed that it is a one-year contract.

Hernandez, 26, was a second-round pick of the Giants in 2018. He started right away and remained the team’s top left guard throughout the majority of his time there. Durability generally wasn’t a concern, as he only missed three games, all of which were in 2020.

Hernandez’s performances didn’t live up to his draft stock, however. His 67.9 PFF grade during his rookie season was the highest of his career. Of his 15 total sacks allowed, seven came this past season. 2021 also saw him commit six penalties, again the worst mark in a single season during his NFL tenure.

The Giants made a number of changes to their offensive line this offseason after the unit continued its recent struggles in 2021. They signed former Colt Mark Glowinski and brought in Jon Feliciano following his release from the Bills. Projected to be starters along the interior of the line, that left Hernandez in need of a new team.

Last week, the Cardinals hosted Hernandez on a free agent visit. Between that and the reported loss of starting guard Max Garcia to the Giants, this move doesn’t come as a surprise. Hernandez will now look to rebuild his value while joining one of the NFC’s top teams.