Arizona Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt OK after concussion check
Hjalte Froholdt was able to finish Sunday's game at center for the Arizona Cardinals, and on Monday the starting offensive lineman said he felt fine after being evaluated for a concussion during the game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Froholdt, in his first season with the Cardinals after 28 games with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots over the past three seasons, missed only seven snaps on Sunday when he had to leave the game early in the fourth quarter. He has played 252 of the Cardinals' 259 offensive snaps through four games and has made a difference in the success the offensive line has had in protecting quarterback Josh Dobbs and with running the ball effectively for the most part.
"I didn't really understand it, but obviously, you know, the league has their protocols and someone saw something from upstairs and they decided to take me out of the game," Forholdt said. "And, you know, it's good those protocols are in place. They're here to save me and help me and help everyone on the playing field. So frustrating moment but in the end, it's a good thing."
Froholdt said that on the pass play prior to him exiting, he was hit and rolled his ankle. He bent over to shake it off, but was pulled from the game.
He was medically cleared by a physician and said he feels good. After the game, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon called the move to check him out a precautionary measure.
"He got up a little wobbly, but he was fine," Gannon said.
A lack of offensive line continuity hurt the Cardinals last season, but so far, all five starters have played all or most of the offensive snaps. On Sunday, the group worked together on a touchdown drive to help Dobbs push forward two times for a first down, a play the Cardinals also used to seal the win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
Labeled the "Brotherly Shove" because it was first deployed by the Philadelphia Eagles, where Gannon coached last season, the Cardinals have used the play in which the quarterback gets a friendly push from behind him to rumble forward in short yardage situations.
"We gotta get a yard, just do what you gotta do to get a yard. That's kind of what it is," Froholdt said. "Yeah, just get low and move ahead."
Froholdt credited his linemates and offensive line coach Klayton Adams' coaching for the success the unit has had so far.
"Everybody's taken it upon ourselves to, you know, be the best we can be. And of course, the running game helps a lot. It helps a lot in the pass game," Froholdt said. "So you never really know what we're going to do. So obviously, we're helping ourselves by doing really good in the run game."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hjalte Froholdt gives Arizona Cardinals stability at center
