When Will Hernandez returned to the Cardinals, his teammates gave him a standing ovation. It wasn't just because he is beloved in the locker room (he is) but also as appreciation for the work he put in to return from the ACL tear he suffered last season.
The guard was a free agent and didn't sign back with the team until last week -- and he admitted it could result in some anxious moments, because you never know what could end up happening -- but his intention always was to return to Arizona for his eighth NFL season.
"What we built here the last couple of years, it isn't just something you get up and leave," Hernandez said.
Hernandez is still on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but he said he is close to getting back on the practice field. Like the offseason of 2024 -- which had been his best season in his estimation before the injury -- he has been doing work in the wrestling room of an MMA gym, testing his knee (flying colors, he said) and getting into shape with physical work even if it isn't on the football field.
He said he has "surprised" some people with how quickly he has recovered, calling his return to practice "a matter of time."
And while coach Jonathan Gannon reiterated Evan Brown and Isaiah Adams are the starting left and right guards, respectively, Hernandez isn't assuming a backup role. (Understandable.) He isn't making any proclamations either but he doesn't believe the future as set.
"The way I see it, it's up to me," Hernandez said. "I understand nothing in this league is given. ... The way things are now (can) be completely different later on. Me knowing that's really up to me, not up to anyone else, is what keeps me calm."
Regardless of his role, Hernandez is back in the building, which his teammates respect and which can only help the Cardinals.
"The coolest thing about this experience is that I was able to confirm what I always preach to the guys" Hernandez said. "I was always that guy, whoop and holler, try to motivate guys on the side, get in their ear, get the negativity out of them, try and have them see the bigger picture. But I had never really been tested, if I'm being honest. I've never had surgery for anything.
"This was a chance to prove to myself everything I've always talked about."
