The Arizona Cardinals may be staring at a Week 1 running back shortage before the regular season even gets here.
Rookie Jeremiyah Love is already in question after suffering a high ankle sprain in Arizona’s preseason opener, and the Cardinals now sound unsure about veteran James Conner as well. Head coach Mike LaFleur said Thursday that Conner is still making progress, but his availability for the opener is far from settled, per Darren Urban.
“It's starting to creep up,” LaFleur said.
Conner is working back from season-ending foot surgery early in the 2025 season, and with the regular season only a few weeks away, his Week 1 status is looking shaky. He has spent the summer doing individual work at practice, but he still hasn’t taken part in full team periods or 11-on-11 drills during camp.
Love’s injury has already knocked him out for the rest of the preseason, with the Cardinals hoping to get him back early in the regular season. For now, though, fans will be watching closely for the next update on his status.
If both Love and Conner are unavailable, Arizona’s depth chart gets thin in a hurry. Tyler Allgeier would be the likely starter in Week 1, with Bam Knight as the only notable reserve behind him.
That uncertainty lands just after the Cardinals released running back Trey Benson on August 24th, a move that could loom larger if Love can’t suit up for the opener. It also makes Arizona’s final roster decisions worth watching as the calendar turns toward Week 1.
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