Trade talk around Trey Benson is picking up, and the Cardinals’ latest roster shuffle did nothing to quiet it.
Benson wasn’t seen at practice yesterday - not even in uniform on the sideline - and head coach Mike LaFleur didn’t bring up any potential absence before Sunday’s practice. Then Arizona added another running back into the mix, claiming Evan Hull while also working out Jermar Jefferson. That sequence only added more fuel to the speculation already building around Benson.
The Cardinals waived DL Coziah Izzard and WR Tejhaun Palmer to make room for DT Cam Horsley and Hull. The team also tried out Jefferson. With Benson missing from practice, it was hard not to connect the dots.
LaFleur later said Benson was dealing with “Just a little discomfort, little flare up in the left knee. It's unfortunate because he was feeling so good, and I thought he was really getting his legs underneath him.
I thought he strung together some good days. It was good news today that he was feeling much better,” he told reporters ahead of Monday.
Even before the practice absence, Benson had already been viewed as a trade candidate. Arizona brought in Tyler Allgeier in free agency and Jeremiyah Love in the draft, and James Conner also restructured his contract to remain with the team through 2026. In a backfield that suddenly looks crowded at the top, Benson has slipped toward the margins.
That’s a frustrating turn for a former Day 2 pick whose time in Arizona has been defined by injuries and uneven opportunity. Benson has flashed the kind of burst that made him such an intriguing prospect at Florida State, but he still hasn’t carved out the role the Cardinals were hoping for.
The depth chart tells part of the story. Benson opened as RB4, and Bam Knight has already picked up more team reps as Arizona heads toward its first preseason game.
Knight could also gain the edge if special teams becomes the deciding factor. Benson, meanwhile, has been limited in 11-on-11 work, and when he has been on the field, it’s been with the third group.
The Cardinals would presumably prefer to move Benson for a late-round pick rather than release him outright. There should be no shortage of teams looking for backfield help, and Benson might simply need a different landing spot to get back on track.
He’s appeared in 17 games over his first two NFL seasons, finishing each year on injured reserve - ankle in 2024, knee in 2025. On 92 carries, he’s averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and scored one touchdown.
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