Starting the season on the road has become familiar territory for Hjalte Froholdt.
Since he joined the Cardinals in 2023, each Week 1 game has been spent in the visitors' locker room. Beyond Froholdt's tenure, five of the last six openers have been away from State Farm Stadium.
Ask the Cardinals center what he thinks, and he'll compare the nerves to any other game. It's a sentiment, at least outwardly, that most in the building share. Treat Sunday's opener against the Saints just like any other.
But the venue does present challenges, especially with crowd noise. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans includes a passionate fan base on the Saints' side, with which the volume exponentially rises. The Cardinals work on their silent count daily, preparing the team for the avalanche of noise.
Then again, the crowd noise on Sunday will be similar to the different narratives the players have heard throughout the offseason.
"Sometimes it just becomes this white noise," Froholdt said. "You just kind of zen in on what is my cue and when do I need to snap the ball. I think it's just honing in on what you need to do, and I think that goes to show in everything, even when there's no crowd noise like when you're at home, with media, whatever. Just focus on what you need to do and you might not do it right every time, but with time, hopefully you get better at it."
Froholdt will be in control in a sense since he'll snap the ball. However, communication along the offensive line and with quarterback Kyler Murray is essential. Silent count situations were emphasized during training camp and Froholdt said that some players prefer that cadence because "they get a better feel off the ball."
But as much as the Cardinals focus on it, the situation is magnified when there is an opponent.