Cardinals' Trey Benson: Officially on injured reserve
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The Cardinals officially placed Benson (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday.
Arizona has lost its top two running backs in back-to-back weeks -- first James Conner to season-ending foot surgery following Week 3 and now Benson to a knee injury for at least the next four games after Week 4. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that Benson underwent arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus injury and was slated to be out 4-to-6 weeks, so even if he isn't able to return from IR when first eligible Sunday, Nov. 9 in Seattle, he should be back in the fold not long after that. For the foreseeable future, Emari Demercado and Michael Carter line up as the best bets to pace the Cardinals backfield, while Bam Knight also is on the active roster and D'Ernest Johnson and Jermar Jefferson are candidates to be elevated from the practice squad.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Undergoes surgery, out 4-to-6 weeks
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Benson underwent arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus injury and will be placed on injured reserve, keeping him sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Earlier Wednesday, Schefter reported that Benson banged his knee near the end of last Thursday's loss to the Seahawks, and coach Jonathan Gannon followed up that report with news that the running back was heading to injured reserve but that he should return at some point this season, per Dani Sureck of the Cardinals' official site. Now that a timetable for Benson to recover has been outlined, he'll still miss at least the next four games while on IR, meaning his first chance for game action will be Sunday, Nov. 9 at Seattle. In the meantime, the Cardinals will roll with Emari Demercado and Michael Carter out of the backfield.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Set to land on IR
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Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday that Benson (knee) will be placed on IR, Dani Sureck of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Gannon said Benson is expected to return this season, but the second-year pro will now be forced to sit out at least four games while recovering from the knee injury he sustained Week 4 versus Seattle. Benson's loss is a tremendous blow for Arizona's offense, one magnified by already having lost James Conner (foot) for the year. Beginning Sunday versus the Titans, and through at least Sunday, Nov. 9 against the Cowboys, Emari Demercado and Michael Carter will be positioned to lead the Cardinals' backfield, with Bam Knight mixing in as the No. 3 option.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Dealing with knee injury
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Benson is uncertain for Sunday's game against the Titans due to a knee injury sustained during last Thursday's loss to Seattle, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Benson's knee injury isn't considered serious, per Schefter, but it could impact his availability for Week 5. The second-year pro reportedly sustained the issue toward the end of Arizona's loss to the Seahawks last Thursday, in which he rushed eight times for 35 yards and secured all five of his targets for 19 yards. With James Conner (foot) out for the season Benson is positioned as the Cardinals' clear lead back, meaning of he were to miss any time change-of-pace man Emari Demercado and No. 3 option Michael Carter would step into significant workloads. Wednesday's official practice report will reveal how much, if any, on-field work Benson's injury currently allows him to handle.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Contrarian DFS Play
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Ashton Jeanty was in this spot last week and finished as the number one running back of the week. I am not sure Trey Benson will do that, but he should be much better than he was in Week 4. In that game, he faced a very good defense and fell victim to a bad game script that kept him on the sideline for much of the fourth quarter. This week, his team is an 8.5-point favorite against a defense that is giving up the fourth most Fantasy points to opposing running backs.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Modest opportunity as lead back
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Benson rushed eight times for 35 yards and brought in all five targets for 19 yards in the Cardinals' 23-20 loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night. He also recovered a fumble.
Benson operated as the unquestioned lead back in the Cardinals' first game without James Conner (IR, foot), but he finished with two fewer carries than in Sunday's Week 3 loss to the 49ers. Benson did record a season high in receptions and outpaced No. 2 back Emari Demercado by six carries, but game script conspired to afford him almost as much pass-catching work as rushing volume. Benson should have a better opportunity to handle a larger workload during a Week 5 home matchup against an ineffective Titans defense on Sunday, Oct. 5.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: RBs to Start
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Benson will make his first start this season with James Conner (ankle) out, and I would use Benson as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues on Thursday night. The Seahawks have yet to allow a running back to score a touchdown, but Christian McCaffrey and Jaylen Warren have each scored 17.4 PPR points against Seattle. Benson, who is averaging 6.0 yards per carry, has scored at least 8.1 PPR points in each game this season while sharing touches with Conner. Benson will be in a featured role now, and I hope he takes advantage of it in Fantasy and reality.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Set for increased workload
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Benson will take on a larger workload following news that James Conner is set for season-ending foot surgery, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Conner was carted off the field Sunday in San Francisco after sustaining what initially was called an ankle injury, but coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed Monday that the issue is with the veteran running back's right foot. In Conner's stead, Benson will get the first chance to lead the Cardinals backfield as he looks to build upon the 29 touches for 170 yards from scrimmage and no touchdowns that he's accumulated through the first three games of the season. Aside from Benson, a 2024 third-round pick, Arizona's healthy RBs on the active roster are Emari Demercado and Bam Knight, while Michael Carter resides on the practice squad.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Takes over for injured starter
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Benson rushed 10 times for 42 yards and caught three of four targets for nine yards in Sunday's 16-15 loss to San Francisco.
James Conner (ankle) was carted off with a severe ankle injury in the second half of Sunday's loss that will reportedly cost Arizona's starting RB the remainder of the season, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Benson took over lead back duties and finished with a healthy 4.2 yards per carry. The talented backup immediately becomes a must-add player in fantasy following Conner's unfortunate injury. Emari Demercado figures to enter the mix for touches as well, but he failed to gain positive yards on two carries Sunday. Expect Benson to start for the Cardinals when the team hosts the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Gets work as receiver Sunday
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Benson rushed three times for 14 yards while catching four of six targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 27-22 win over Carolina.
Benson fell back to No. 2 in the RB pecking order Sunday after leading the team in rushing with 69 yards in Week 1. The Florida State product finished with eight fewer carries than starter James Conner (11-34-1), with the former making the bigger impact in the passing game. Conner is still the lead back and preferred fantasy option in Arizona, but Benson has carved out a nice role heading into next Sunday's tilt versus the 49ers.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Stashes (RB Preview)
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He is one injury away from being a must-start back, and James Conner is 30 years old with an extensive injury history. Benson had nine touches in Week 1 and broke off a career-long 52-yard run. He still needs an injury to James Conner to be a starter, but if he gets that opportunity, he may push to be a top 12 back on a weekly basis.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Benson will likely have a prominent role in tandem with James Conner, and Benson might be worth using as a flex option in plus matchups for the Cardinals. Benson had eight carries for 69 yards, which included a 52-yard run, along with one catch for 6 yards in Week 1 at the Saints. Conner, 30, also has been injury prone, so rostering Benson as a lottery ticket makes sense. He's worth adding for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Stashes (RB Preview)
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Most of the backs available on the waiver wire are stash candidates. Bhayshul Tuten, Tyjae Spears, and Kendre Miller could all be in this section. But I am not sure any of them have the upside or ability Trey Benson does as a rusher. He is one injury away from being a must-start back, and James Conner is 30 years old with an extensive injury history.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: DNP in preseason Week 2
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Benson didn't play in Saturday's 27-7 preseason loss at Denver.
The Cardinals held out their top two running backs in James Conner and Benson in their second exhibition game. That followed a preseason opener in which Conner started and turned his three carries into 11 yards before yielding the backfield to Benson, who had nine rushes for 29 yards and one 20-yard catch. Conner has expressed that he expects to cede work to Benson this season after the veteran dominated RB reps to the tune of 283 touches over 16 regular-season games in 2024. Benson, a third-round pick in 2024, totaled just 69 touches over 13 appearances.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Poised to make a jump
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Coach Jonathan Gannon believes Benson "is going to take a step" in his second season as a pro, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
There's no question about James Conner's standing as the top option out of the Cardinals backfield, as the eight-year veteran is coming off a career-best 1,508 yards from scrimmage during the 2024 season. The team invested a third-round pick in Benson two springs ago, but he managed only 69 touches for 350 total yards and one rushing TD in 13 regular-season games as a rookie. He wasn't known for his receiving ability in college, so Benson may need an injury to Conner to make a significant impact in the upcoming campaign.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Packs on seven pounds
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Benson said Thursday that he added seven pounds during the offseason but feels more explosive, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Benson also said he wants the Cardinals to have "two RB1s" this season, suggesting he's ready for a larger role behind James Conner after taking 69 touches for 350 total yards (on 137 snaps) during his rookie campaign. The 2024 third-round pick missed the final three games of last season with an ankle injury but came back healthy for OTAs and minicamp this spring. There aren't many running backs that offer a better combination of speed and size, with Benson having run a 4.39 40 at the 2024 Combine at 6 feet, 216 pounds. It sounds like he may have maintained that speed while pushing his weight to the 220-225 range.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: On field for OTAs
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Benson (ankle) has been participating in the Cardinals' voluntary OTAs, per the team's official site.
Benson missed the last three games of his rookie season due to an ankle injury that required him being placed on IR, but Arizona's offseason photo release now shows him participating in Phase 3 of OTAs. Across 13 regular-season appearances as a rookie, the 2024 third-round pick rushed 63 times for 291 yards (4.6 YPC) and one score. He was active Week 5 but took no snaps behind workhorse James Conner. Benson is slotted for a backup role behind Conner entering Year 2 but remains a high-upside developmental option, in the event that the 30-year-old veteran starter atop the depth chart shows signs of regression coming off a career-high 283 touches. Admittedly, though, Conner is a three-down player and impressed with 1,508 yards from scrimmage while remaining healthy for a career-best 16 regular-season games in 2024, and if he reprises a similar performance in 2025 few opportunities will be left over for Benson.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Won't play in Week 18
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Arizona placed Benson (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Benson will end up missing the final three games of his rookie season due to the ankle injury he sustained in a Dec. 15 win over the Patriots. Before getting hurt, the third-round pick out of Florida State had solidified his spot as the top backup to James Conner. Over 13 appearances, Benson gained 291 yards and a touchdown on 63 carries (4.6 average) while reeling in all six of his targets for 59 yards.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Sitting out again Saturday
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Benson (ankle) is inactive for Saturday's game at the Rams, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Benson thus will miss a second consecutive contest due to an ankle injury, but on a positive note he at least was listed as limited on all three Week 17 injury reports, suggesting that his health is trending in the right direction ahead of a Week 18 matchup with the 49ers. As for Saturday, though, James Conner (knee) will continue to lead Arizona's backfield, while Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas back him up.
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Cardinals' Trey Benson: Remains limited Wednesday
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Benson (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Benson failed to practice at all last week due to an ankle issue before being ruled out ahead of Sunday's 36-30 overtime loss to Carolina on the final injury report, so his ability to take part in Tuesday's walk-through session in a limited fashion followed by a capped practice one day later has given him a chance to return to action Saturday at the Rams. Starting back James Conner (knee) has followed the same practice regimen this week, so their respective listings on Thursday's report may shed light on who might lead the backfield Week 17. Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas are the healthy options at the position on the active roster.
