Lopez was also the one in Mexico City to announce the selection of rookie defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor in the fourth round of April's draft.
Some things do remain constant in the building. Lopez is eager to have Budda Baker patrolling the secondary again. Sharing a room with Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, and L.J. Collier was enticing as Lopez pondered his free agency options.
And he returns to the same defensive coordinator.
"The first thing that comes to my mind is his mental, because he is so smart," Lopez said of Nick Rallis. "He knows not blinking in adversity and through his tone of voice and through his belief in you, he wants to be the big dog in the arena. When you play for a guy like that and you're surrounded with guys with that same mentality, it's exciting to buckle your helmet up."
Lopez was a member of the Cardinals during Jonathan Gannon's first season. Now, a new coach is at the helm as the LaFleur era is underway.
Ultimately, the decision to return to the Cardinals matches the emotions and reasoning he experienced when he first got into the building in 2023.
For Lopez, it's about ushering a new era for his hometown team, all while competing in front of his family.
"To be a part of (coach LaFleur's) first year, it's amazing because I know he's hungry," Lopez said. "He's hungry like all of us. As a kid from the city, it's all you want, man. It's an opportunity. I'm blessed to be here and I'm hungry to get us going where we need to go."