The Arizona Cardinals have been a perfect fit for Hjalte Froholdt to unlock his potential as a starting center in the NFL. His success has spanned over the last two seasons and seems to be on the right track to repeat again in 2025.
Froholdt has been anchoring down the middle of the Cardinals’ offensive line for each game of both of the last two seasons, with the rest of the line looking mostly identical. Paris Johnson Jr. and newly re-signed Will Hernandez have been with the team since 2023, while Evan Brown, Jonah Williams and Isaiah Adams all were in Arizona last year.
That combination of experience as well as talent has helped the Cardinals put together a solid unit up front, which continues to grow together while holding each other accountable. Froholdt has been at the forefront, making sure his group is as cohesive as possible.
“We’re at a really good place mentally,” Froholdt said. “Physically, too, we’ve got a bunch of freaks out there; it’s really nice to have those guys. Communication’s good, even if there’s a mistake, it still is quick to be like, ‘Hey, I need to do that better.’”
Froholdt Has Earned the Trust of His Coaching Staff
After spending the first three seasons of his five-year career with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, Froholdt has truly found a home with the Cardinals over the last two seasons.
The 28-year-old started in just six games up until 2023, where he eventually solidified his role as a 17-game starter for back-to-back years. Froholdt has become a leader during his time in Arizona, bringing more than just production on the field to his team.
“[Froholdt’s] kind of the glue,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said. “He has the most loaded up plate mentally, that he handles really well. He sets the tone for our mode of play. He’s a fantastic pro, fantastic teammate.”
Gannon brought Froholdt in for his first season as the Cardinals’ head coach back in 2023, and the two have had some of the best success of their careers together.
“He’s a Cardinal through and through,” Gannon said. He exemplifies team over you. He puts a lot into his craft. I bounce a lot of things off of [Froholdt]. He’s been on a couple of teams, and he’s got really good viewpoints on a lot of things. I talk to him a lot.”
2025 Isn’t Just Another Year for Froholdt
Arizona has had a solid year on the ground in 2024, but the team knows there’s still room to improve. Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Cardinals ranked second in the league in rushing yards per attempt at 5.3. The mindset of the offensive line is to get even better.
“How can we gain one more yard per game?” offensive line coach Justin Frye said. “How can you gain one less sack per game? … Here’s what we did well, how can we do it really well?”
Froholdt has fully bought into this mindset and has been working to improve in his own game throughout the whole offseason. Heading into his sixth season in the league, however, some of his training had to change.
“I’ve played more than I ever have in my career,” Froholdt said. “… It’s really cool to squat a lot of weight, but I need to worry about how fast can I squat heavy-ish weight.”
The ability to change a mindset for the betterment of the team is something not all players have in the NFL, and it helps set Froholdt apart. As a veteran, the center knows that his role within the organization has changed for the better, and he wants to continue leading his team to grow as much as possible.
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