Former Ohio State center Pat Elflein has found a new home in the NFL, signing a deal with the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday. The terms of the contract have not yet been specified.
Elflein, who is entering his seventh NFL season, will earn a chance to compete for a starting role after undergoing season-ending hip surgery on Oct. 26. The veteran center spent the last four months as an unsigned free agent.
In seven professional seasons, the former Buckeyes offensive lineman has started 64 games for three franchises, most recently with the Carolina Panthers, where he started at center and guard for 15 games.
Elflein started 42 games for the Minnesota Vikings at center and left guard in his first three seasons from 2017-2020 before being traded to the Jets midway through the 2020 campaign.
A third-round pick by Minnesota, Elflein played at Ohio State from 2013-2016, winning the Remington Award for best college center in 2016. He started all 15 games for the Buckeyes’ championship-winning 2014 season at left and right guard.
Now, Elflein gets a chance to team up alongside another former Buckeye offensive lineman in Paris Johnson Jr., who was selected by Arizona with the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
