Bengals watch another possible free agent guard addition go off the market
A one-year deal for the veteran starter.
Every Cincinnati Bengals fan wants to know if signing another free agent guard is in the club’s plans, and the market dried up a little bit more Thursday afternoon.
Per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, Will Hernandez is re-signing with the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal.
Hernandez, a former second-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, is a seven-year starter with ample experience at both left and right guard. He spent the first four years of his career with the New York Giants and the next three with the Cardinals. He suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of the 2024 season and missed the remainder of the year. He had only allowed eight pressures and didn’t give up a sack according to Pro Football Focus.
Hernandez’s injury was the main reason why he remained unsigned for so long this offseason. He announced he was clear to play a week ago, nearly 10 months after suffering the injury.
Cincinnati made total sense as Hernandez’s next team. The Bengals are projected to start rookie third-round pick Dylan Fairchild at LG, and RG is completely up in the air between Lucas Patrick and Cody Ford. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher revealed that battle is far from over.
Hernandez being an experienced and quality pass-protector made him an ideal target for Cincinnati, but he was a long ways away from being cleared when the team re-signed Ford and signed Patrick in March.
Hernandez getting hurt in a contract year definitely hindered his value as a free agent, and staying in Arizona could benefit him as he’s intimately familiar with the offense and training staff. It’s why he may have prioritized returning instead of trying his luck elsewhere.
The Bengals have had plenty of time to add another guard to the mix and have stood pat. The closer the regular season gets, the more likely the names in the building are the names in consideration.
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