Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals saw star running back James Conner get carted off the field against the San Francisco 49ers. Now that he is injured, who will be the team’s running back? Who’s next on the depth chart?
Trey Benson was getting snaps already but now will serve as the workhorse. Emari DeMercado is the next guy on the depth chart and will provide depth to the team while Conner comes back. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Conner has an ankle injury. The 49ers is a rivalry game and it took a toll on the team.
Conner was a key part of the offense. The ankle injury looked gruesome and now it’s time to wonder how much time he will miss. The Cardinals should be thankful they have a deep running back room.
Can Trey Benson take the load?
Trey Benson is someone the Cardinals’ coaching staff is very fond of. In the first two weeks of the NFL season, Benson has 11 attempts for 83 yards and also five catches for 36 yards. He can be a dual threat back if needed.
Benson was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft, but his rookie season wasn’t as stellar. Now, it’s his chance to become an absolute stud and pretty much grab the starting spot.
Cardinals’ need their running game bad
Without a running game, there is no play-action. Kyler Murray excels in play-action because of his dual-threat playing style. He can threaten defenses with his great deep passes or take off with his legs as the pass rush gets confused with the running deception.
Hence, it’s key for this team to be able to keep running the ball without Conner. Benson will have a big responsibility. If the Cardinals can’t run the ball, it’s been proven that Murray starts to struggle as he becomes more and more predictable and his progressions aren’t always the smoothest.