Trey Benson is back in the Arizona Cardinals’ injury room with a “flare-up” to his surgically repaired left knee, according to head coach Mike LaFleur.
The issue does not sound particularly serious, with LaFleur saying he does not expect Benson’s absence to stretch across multiple weeks. It seems likely, though, that Benson will miss the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6.
“I wouldn't say (I’d be) shocked if he goes in Canton, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't go,” LaFleur said.
Even if Benson misses minimal time, it’s a frustrating setback for a player who has been unable to stay healthy. He tore his meniscus last September, attempted a return in November and was shut down for the season when the injury did not respond well to an increased
workload.
In part because Benson missed so much time, the Cardinals addressed their running back room aggressively this offseason, rather than relying on the 2024 third-round pick. They reworked James Conner’s contract to avoid cutting him, signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency and, of course, drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick.
Those moves had already complicated Benson’s path to the 53-man roster and added importance to his performances in training camp and preseason. Now, he is losing crucial opportunities to stake his claim to a job.
“It was unfortunate because it was feeling so good, and I thought he was really getting his legs underneath him,” LaFleur said. “I thought he strung together some good days.”
Depth chart surprises all over
The Cardinals rested some key starters on Monday, Aug. 3, including wide receiver Michael Wilson, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and safety Budda Baker.
That provided an opportunity to play backups with the first team during 11-on-11 work, as the Cardinals’ depth chart continues to offer up surprises.
On offense, there’s been the intensely followed running back competition, with Tyler Allgeier again seeing the first snaps ahead of Jeremiyah Love on Aug. 3.
That’s not the only surprise, though. In Johnson’s absence, Josh Fryar and Jayden Williams rotated snaps at left tackle. The latter, a seventh-round rookie, has been making a strong impression all camp, suggesting he could eventually push struggling right tackle Elijah Wilkinson for opportunities.
The Cardinals also rotated at guard on Monday, with Jon Gaines and Chase Bisontis seeing some work with the starting offense. Isaac Seumalo and Isaiah Adams remain the starters, but the rookie Bisontis may be closing the gap.
On defense, a handful of players have seen a surprising amount of first-team opportunities, including safety Andrew Wingard and edge rusher Eku Leota. The former appears to be entrenching himself as the starter alongside Baker, with Dadrion Taylor-Demerson as the third safety of choice.
Reggie Virgil’s big day
It had been a quiet camp for wide receiver Reggie Virgil, the Cardinals’ fifth-round rookie — until Monday.
He impressed with the backups all day in 11-on-11 work, notably hauling in a touchdown grab over a defender on a post route. Then, he came up with the highlight of Cardinals training camp.
On a poor pass from Carson Beck, Virgil contorted his body, leapt upward, reached his right arm into the air and somehow made the catch as he fell backward to the ground, conjuring flashbacks of Odell Beckham Jr. back in 2014.
It wasn’t all positive for Virgil, who failed to haul in another contested catch on an end zone fade and muffed a punt. But the flashes of playmaking ability were tantalizing, as the Cardinals aim to develop their young receiver.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals camp observations: Running back room suffers setback
