Starting right guard Will Hernandez is one of the Arizona Cardinals’ 20 players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March when the new league year begins on March 12. He has played the last three seasons for the Cardinals but had his 2024 season end after only five games when he suffered a season-ending knee injury that later was revealed as a torn ACL.
While he was perhaps the Cardinals’ best lineman over the last three years, he is coming off the injury and will be 30 years old when the 2025 season begins, so it is uncertain whether the team will want to re-sign him, especially when he isn’t healthy yet.
He made it clear that he would like to return.
Speaking with PHNX’s Bo Brack in New Orleans during Super Bowl week, Hernandez spoke about both his desire to come back but also his understanding that it isn’t something he is focused on right now.
“Of course I would love to stay where I’m at, where I already built those relationships, where I already know what each person brings to the table,” he told Brack. “I’m a very loyal kind of dog. Once I connect with someone, once I play in the trenches with these guys, I’m attached.
“I would definitely love to stay, but at the end of the day, it isn’t up to me. I can’t make these decisions, and if it happens where I can or I can’t, we’ll go off that and we’ll see what the next step is. I haven’t even thought about it.”
There is one thing on his mind currently.
“The only thing I think about is getting this knee back to 100%, which is exactly what is happening.”
The Cardinals have until March 10 to negotiate with Hernandez before he can begin talking to other teams.
We will see if the Cardinals plan on bringing him back again soon enough!
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