Arizona Cardinals center Rodney Hudson to return for 12th NFL season

Arizona Cardinals center Rodney Hudson will be back in 2022, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday. Hudson’s status for the upcoming season was previously up in the air after he opted not to attend mandatory minicamp.

Set to enter his 12th NFL season, Hudson was a second round draft pick out of Florida State in the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent the first four years of his pro career with the Kansas City Chiefs before signing with the Raiders in 2015. There he would go on to earn three Pro Bowl appearances (2016, 2017 and 2019). He spent six seasons with the franchise before being traded to Arizona ahead of 2021.

Last season with the Cardinals, Rodney Hudson was the starting center as the team finished eighth in the NFL in total offense. Unfortunately, Arizona drew eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round of the playoffs, making for an early exit. Hopes are still high in 2022 for an offense featuring Kyler Murray, and the return of Hudson only bolsters those expectations.

At 33 years old, Hudson still has two years left on his current NFL contract. He will make a base salary of $10.8 million this upcoming season, according to Spotrac.

The Cardinals are set to open the 2022 season on Sept. 11 at home against the Chiefs.

More on Rodney Hudson

An Alabama native, Hudson was a three-star recruit and the No. 48 interior offensive lineman in the 2007 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He chose to attend Florida State over offers from Ole Miss, West Virginia and several others.

Hudson went on to become a four-year starter for the Seminoles from 2007-10. He was named to three All-ACC first teams during that span and was a first team All-American and finalist for the OUtland Trophy as a senior in 2010.