The Arizona Cardinals’ 2025 season has been defined by attrition, and the hits just keep coming. With Kyler Murray already shelved for the year, the team has now lost another key piece: running back Bam Knight is out for the season with an ankle injury, the team announced.
That makes three Cardinals running backs officially done for the year - a brutal trend that’s mirrored the team’s broader struggles. James Conner was the first domino to fall, sidelined early in the season with a foot injury.
Then came Trey Benson, who landed on injured reserve. There was some hope he might return, but he remained inactive long enough to miss the rest of the campaign.
Now Knight joins that list, leaving Arizona’s backfield even thinner.
That left Michael Carter to step in against the Houston Texans on Sunday. The former Jets draft pick logged 14 carries for 56 yards - not eye-popping, but given the circumstances, a respectable showing. Carter’s been solid in flashes this season, and with fantasy football playoffs in full swing, he suddenly becomes a name to watch for managers looking to squeeze production out of a depleted backfield.
The Cardinals wrap up their home schedule in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons - a matchup that, in terms of playoff implications, doesn’t move the needle. Both teams are out of the postseason picture, but there’s still plenty on the line for players like Carter, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. With three games left, he’s got a real shot to make his case for a bigger role - in Arizona or elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Knight and rookie Emari DeMarcado will enter restricted free agency, giving the Cardinals some flexibility but also some tough choices. Conner and Benson are both under contract long-term, but given the injury toll this year, Arizona will need to take a hard look at the durability and depth of its running back room heading into the offseason.
This position group has been a revolving door all year, and it’s fair to say it’s been a major factor in the team’s offensive inconsistency. Whether it’s Carter making a late-season push or the front office reevaluating its long-term strategy, the Cardinals’ running back situation will be one of the more intriguing storylines to follow once the dust settles on 2025.