With Week 13 on deck, the Arizona Cardinals will once again be without rookie running back Trey Benson, who remains on injured reserve as he continues to recover from a knee injury suffered back in Week 4 against the Seahawks. The team had hoped Benson would step into a lead role following James Conner’s season-ending injury, but that plan has been on pause for nearly two months.
Instead, Arizona has turned to a committee approach, leaning on Bam Knight, Emari Demercado, and Michael Carter to carry the load. But heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that group gets even thinner-Demercado is also out, leaving Knight and Carter as the primary backs for Week 13.
Now, while Benson has been sidelined, he’s quietly been making progress. He’s practiced over the last two weeks and could be in line for a return as early as Week 14.
When healthy, Benson has shown flashes-29 carries for 160 yards and 13 receptions for 64 yards on the season. Not eye-popping volume, but the efficiency and versatility are there.
If he’s activated off IR next week, there’s a real chance he reclaims a lead role in this backfield.
In the meantime, all eyes shift to Knight, who’s been the Cardinals’ go-to option near the goal line. With both Conner and Benson out, Knight has stepped up in short-yardage situations, punching in touchdowns in back-to-back games and scoring four times over the seven games in which he’s received a carry.
That’s not a coincidence-it’s a trend that matters, especially when you consider that 13 of his 15 red-zone carries have come inside the 10-yard line. That’s where games are won, and that's where Knight has carved out his niche.
He’s not a workhorse in the traditional sense-don’t expect 20 touches-but his role is defined and valuable. Knight has played over 40% of the offensive snaps in six straight games and has logged at least 10 carries in four of those contests. That kind of consistency in usage, especially in scoring situations, makes him a key figure in Arizona’s offense heading into a matchup with a Buccaneers defense that has allowed 4.1 yards per carry and ranks in the bottom 10 in rushing touchdowns allowed.
With the Cardinals’ backfield still in flux and Benson’s return looming, Knight has a real opportunity to continue making an impact. Sunday’s game could be another chance for him to punch one in-and keep the seat warm until Benson is ready to roll.