The NFL offseason is officially underway, and with it comes one of the league’s most sobering annual rituals: veteran cuts. It’s a time when financial realities and roster reshaping collide, and for the Arizona Cardinals, that collision may soon involve a familiar face - James Conner.
Conner has been a steady presence in Arizona’s backfield since joining the team, bringing toughness, leadership, and a nose for the end zone. But after a 2025 season that was derailed by injury and marked by declining production, the writing may be on the wall.
He missed most of the year with an ankle injury, and even before that, the numbers weren’t trending in the right direction. He averaged just 3 yards per carry across three games, with only one explosive run - a 3.1% explosive run rate that marked the lowest of his career by a wide margin.
Now, with a new head coach in Mike LaFleur and a franchise that appears ready to turn the page at multiple key positions - including quarterback - the Cardinals are staring down a full-scale reset. And that reset could very well begin in the backfield.
Releasing Conner would free up $7.5 million in cap space, a significant chunk for a team that, while not in dire financial straits, still has plenty of roster holes to patch. Arizona isn’t just trying to shave dollars off the books - they’re trying to build something new. And when you’re doing that, it often means making tough calls on veterans who’ve given a lot to the team.
Conner, who turns 31 in May, has battled through injuries throughout his career and has always played with a chip on his shoulder. His locker room presence and leadership have been well documented, and under former head coach Jonathan Gannon, he may have had a better shot at sticking around. But with LaFleur now steering the ship, the direction is changing - and that includes a more forward-looking approach to the running back position.
The reality is that NFL running backs rarely age gracefully, especially those with Conner’s physical style. He’s taken a lot of hits over the years, and while his toughness is unquestioned, availability and explosiveness are king at the position. Last season, even before the injury, those traits weren’t consistently there.
Arizona doesn’t have a clear-cut successor in the backfield, but that may not matter. In today’s league, many teams are opting for younger, cheaper, more versatile backs - and building committees rather than leaning on a single bell-cow. The Cardinals could easily follow suit, especially as they reshape the offense under LaFleur’s guidance.
It’s never easy to move on from a player like James Conner - someone who’s been a heartbeat guy for the franchise. But football is a business, and this move would be less about what Conner has done in the past and more about where the Cardinals are headed next. With a new coach, a likely quarterback change, and a roster in need of remodeling, the backfield looks like one of the first places they’ll start.