While everyone has been wondering all summer whether or not Arizona Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and wide receiver Michael Wilson would receive contract extensions before the start of the regular season, it turned out center Hjalte Froholdt was the first of the team’s core to have that happen.
And that occurred a mere two years after his first contract with the team was restructured and extended in the summer of 2024.
That deal was set to expire following this season in which he was scheduled to receive $4.77 million in salary along with a $500,000 roster bonus that was paid in March as well as a maximum total of $255,000 in per-game active roster bonuses ($15,000 for each game) and a $100,000 offseason workout bonus. That would be
total compensation of $5.625 million with nothing guaranteed in advance.
Prior to the current restructuring he signed earlier this week and that now has him under contract through 2028, the salary-cap charge was set to be $6.958 million.
It turns out the reported two-year extension being worth $20 million is accurate because the total cash value of all three years is $25.625 million. That includes $13.5 million fully guaranteed at signing and another $1.25 million that is currently guaranteed for injury only but becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2027 league year.
Hjalte Froholdt contract extension details
Here’s how the contract breaks down, including this season.
- The roster bonus, per-game bonus and offseason workout bonus remain for this year and the latter two items are also part of the new deal for 2027 and 2028.
- Froholdt received a $5.25 million signing bonus that is prorated on the cap for three years at $1.75 million each year.
- The base salaries are $4 million guaranteed this year, $5.5 million in 2027 and $8.56 million in 2028. The 2027 salary has $4.25 million guaranteed at signing and the other $1.25 million, as noted above, becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.
- There is no guaranteed money in 2028, and that year also includes a $750,000 roster bonus to be paid on the fifth day of the league year.
- The cash payouts are $10.105 million this year ($4.48 million) more than the previous contract), $5.855 million in 2027 and $9.655 million in 2028.
- The cap hits are $7.938 million this year, which is $980,000 more than it was previously, $7.605 million in 2027 and $11.415 million in 2028.
The fully guaranteed money of $13.25 million is somewhat inflated because at the time the new deal was signed he was certain to be paid his salary for the 2026 season even though it wasn’t technically guaranteed.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals OL Hjalte Froholdt contract extension details
