The Arizona Cardinals are officially out of the playoff picture. That’s been the case mathematically since their Week 13 loss to the Buccaneers, but in reality, the wheels came off much earlier - back in Week 5, when Kyler Murray went down with a season-ending injury. Since then, the focus has shifted from chasing wins to building a foundation for 2026.
One of the key areas the Cardinals need to address? The ground game.
It’s been a revolving door in the backfield since James Conner went down with a foot injury, and the team had hoped that rookie Trey Benson - a third-round pick in 2024 - would step in and carry the load. But just as he was getting his shot, Benson’s season took a detour of its own.
After just eight carries into his second career start, Benson suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. He’s been on injured reserve ever since.
The Cardinals opened his 21-day practice window back on November 19, giving them a limited window to evaluate his progress before making a decision. That window closes this Wednesday, and so far, the signs aren’t exactly encouraging.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t offer much clarity when asked about Benson’s status. “We’ll see.
Not quite sure yet. I want to see him out there,” he said, via team reporter Darren Urban.
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, and it leaves the door open for Benson to potentially miss the rest of the season if he’s not activated in time.
It’s a tough break for both player and team. This was supposed to be Benson’s chance to prove he could be the guy - a lead back with the tools to grow into a bigger role.
Through his limited action, he showed flashes: 160 rushing yards on 29 carries, plus 13 catches on 16 targets for 64 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, but he was starting to carve out a rhythm before the injury cut things short.
Now, the Cardinals are left with more questions than answers in the backfield. With Conner’s health uncertain and Benson’s development paused, Arizona heads into the final stretch of a lost season looking for silver linings - and maybe a glimpse of what the future could look like if they can get their young talent back on track.
For Benson, the next few days are critical. If he can return to practice and show enough to warrant activation, he might still get a chance to finish the year on a high note. If not, the wait continues - and so does the Cardinals’ search for stability in a run game that’s been stuck in neutral since October.