NFL teams vary greatly in how much they allow the media to engage with their OTA sessions. If you're a Cleveland Browns fan, you can listen to Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco mic'd up, talking about dance moves. Arizona Cardinals fans have to settle for a bit less.
One key piece of information that we do have access to is which players are on the field, and which ones are not. Cardinals fans received some good news on that front as OTAs wrapped up this week.
Two Cardinals starters back on the field at OTAs
Local media outlet AZ Central reported that Hjalte Froholt and Jonah Williams both returned to the field with their teammates this week.
Both players had previously missed the on-field drills at Cardinals' OTAs. Hjalte Froholt, the team's starting center, was absent during the first week of team activities. The reason for his absence is unknown, but he will soon be due for a new contract after a solid performance in 2024.
Jonah Williams, the Cardinals' starting right tackle, returned to the field after working with trainers on the sidelines last week. As AZ Central writer Theo Mackie noted, "Williams, who missed the final two games of last season, wore a brace on his right knee."
The health of the offensive line will be crucial to the Arizona Cardinals' success in 2025. The team made very few adjustments to the offensive roster over the offseason, so depth is at a minimum. When a couple of starters went down with injuries at the tail end of the 2024 season, the overall efficiency of the offense clearly suffered.
The running game is the strength of the Arizona Cardinals' offense. They have established an identity of being physical up front and allowing running back James Conner to pound the ball between the tackles. That identity is crucial in taking the pressure to drive the offense forward off of Kyler Murray's shoulders. If this offense is to continue the success it saw in 2024, the health of maulers like Hjalte Froholt and Jonah Williams is extremely important.