Cards, Hjalte Froholdt Agree To Extension

Froholdt agreed to an Arizona extension on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. This is a two-year, $20MM deal. Froholdt was set to be a pending free agent, but he will now be on the books through 2028.

Almost exactly two years ago, team and player took this same path. Froholdt established himself as the Cardinals’ starting center in 2023, and ahead of the following season he accepted a two-year extension. That pact was worth $12MM, but a raise has now been worked out on this latest contract. Froholdt has yet to miss a game during his Arizona tenure, and the team will be hoping for continued durability over the foreseeable future.

In addition to logging over 1,000 snaps during each of his Cardinals campaigns, Froholdt has been consistent in terms of PFF evaluation over that time. The 30-year-old Dane graded 19th among centers in 2023 before improving to sixth the following year. Last season, he finished 14th in that respect. Similar showings over the course of this new contract would come as no surprise.

Arizona will aim for improvement on offense in 2026. Better health in the backfield would go a long way in that regard, as would stable play at quarterback relative to how last season began. The performances of the Cardinals’ offensive line will course be critical as well, though, and Froholdt figures to play a key role on that front.

Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is eligible for an extension and he has spoke about a desire to reset the position’s market. Any long-term deal for the former No. 6 pick would cost far more than this Froholdt deal. Nevertheless, the latter’s status as an important presence up front has been confirmed for 2026 and beyond.