Veteran blocker Max Garcia returns to the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals front office brought veteran Max Garcia back into the fold to provide insurance for the offensive line

After three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, offensive lineman Max Garcia inked a free-agent deal with the New York Giants back in March. Now, six months later, the 30-year old blocker has returned to the desert.

The Cards announced on Saturday that Garcia, a former fourth-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos, has returned to the “Valley of the Sun”. General manager Steve Keim noticed that the former University of Florida product had been demoted to the Giants practice squad, and promptly made a move to acquire the club’s former employee.

A reinforcement for Arizona’s blocking unit was necessary, thanks to the ankle issue that has sidelined backup guard Cody Ford. The former Buffalo Bills starter was placed on the Redbirds’ injured-reserve list, an organizational move that will keep Ford out of action for the first four weeks of the season.

Max Garcia was a valuable member of the Arizona Cardinals for three years

Garcia appeared in 21 contests for the Cardinals during his first two seasons with the franchise. Last fall, the Georgia native played a more significant role for the “Air Raid” offense.

The versatility of Garcia was on full display when he held down the fort at both center and right guard. He made 15 appearances for the Cards in all, and was credited with 11 starts.

The 6 foot 4, 309 pound Garcia entered the NFL back in 2015 after being drafted by the Broncos. He appeared in all 16 matchups (five starts) as a rookie, seeing playing time at both guard positions. Garcia’s first pro season ended in glory when Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.

Arizona’s depth at guard became dangerously thin after Ford’s setback. Offensive line coach Sean Kugler can rest a little easier now that the valuable Garcia is back in the fold.