The Arizona Cardinals had the worst luck of any NFL club this past season with their running back room. First, it was starter James Conner who went down in Week 3 in a key matchup with the San Francisco 49ers with a foot injury. That required surgery and placed Conner on season-ending IR.
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The baton was passed to backup Trey Benson who went down with a meniscus injury the following week. It was a nightmare. Suddenly, the backup to the backup, Emari Demercado,
was elevated to the starting role. He played well at times, and then had that dumbfounded fumble maneuver against the winless Tennessee Titans that everyone will always remember.
On Thursday, the Cardinals decided to not tender Demercado, which essentially makes him a free agent just days before the free agency period begins on Monday, March 9. Demercado was a restricted free agent.
During the introductory press conferences at the Combine, GM Monti Ossenfort stated that both Conner and Benson were working hard on their rehab, but would not give any sort of timetable regarding their return. Currently under contract are both of these runners, plus Corey Kiner, and that’s it. Kiner went undrafted in last year’s NFL draft, and Arizona is his third club.
Demercado came to the Cardinals after going undrafted in 2023 and signing a rookie free agent deal. He made the final roster and appeared in 14 games as a rookie. The next year, what Arizona fan doesn’t remember that electric 53-yard scamper he had against the Chicago Bears? He began 2025 as RB3 and eventually was the main RB after the injuries to Conner and Benson.
With the Cardinals, he had two starts in three seasons and gained 819 yards with three TDs, with 13 receptions for 101 yards and another score.
It is not clear what the franchise will do regarding the running back room. At the presser, Ossenfort sounded like they were willing to wait for both backs to come back healthy. In free agency, the top RBs are Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Tyler Allgeier (Falcons), and Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers).
The Cardinals own the #3 pick in April’s NFL draft, and a lot of draft site speculators are selecting RB Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame going to Arizona in that spot. Other rounds include Emmett Johnson of Nebraska in Round 3 and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton in Round 4.
