Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is coming off a season-ending injury and reworked his deal to return in 2026 at a lower salary. He is expected to have a smaller role than in years past, as Tyler Allgeier was signed in free agency and Jeremiyah Love was drafted third overall.
One thing is certain: the Arizona Cardinals’ running back room is the best position group on the entire team. Five of the six running backs have NFL experience and are worthy of a roster spot.
That may change at some
point. Not that the coaching staff isn’t interested in keeping all of them around. It’s just not feasible. Most NFL clubs keep three, and sometimes four, running backs, and maybe a couple on the practice squad.
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A team just can’t keep them all. If they do, this means a player in another position group will become one player less. Nobody wants one fewer pass rusher, or defensive back, or a much-needed tight end.
After a busy offseason, quite a bit has changed with the running back room. It appears that first-round draft pick Jeremiyah Love will become the new starter, with free agent signee Tyler Allgeier as his running mate.
The hard decision will be who the third back will be. Who stays?
Bam Knight will have to prove he has special teams value. Trey Benson is still dealing with his lingering meniscus injury from last season and could be a candidate for the PUP list. James Conner appears ready to hit training camp running.
Conner restructured his contract and took a pay cut to remain on the team. That doesn’t mean he will stay, though. Both he and Benson have been linked to trade scenarios with RB-needy teams. If he does stay, would he be happy with a handful of carries per game? Can he take a backseat and find contentment instead of going to a club that would give him lots of carries?
If he remains with the Cardinals, he can achieve a plateau with the franchise.
Conner came to Arizona in 2021 and promptly made the Pro Bowl. This year will be his sixth season with the Cardinals and 10th overall. In his five seasons with the team, he has gained 3,763 yards, which is currently ranked fourth all-time with the franchise.
O.J. Anderson is the all-time franchise rushing leader with 7,999 yards. In second place is Stump Mitchell with 4,649 yards.
LINK: STUMP MITCHELL INTERVIEW
But in third place is Jim Otis with 3,863 yards. That means that Conner only needs 101 rushing yards to move into third place in the history of the franchise.
Again, if he remains with the team.
If he sticks, even if the coaching staff takes away the majority of his carries and keeps him in a limited role, Conner should easily pass Otis on the career list. Mitchell’s spot is also attainable, but Conner would need to have a prominent role on game days. Training camp will reveal what the Cardinals’ coaches decide to do with their running back room.
It’s very possible that Conner could become many things, including a starting role or as Love’s primary sub.
Otis came to the St. Louis Cardinals for the $100 waiver fee. He stayed for six seasons and played 80 games, including 55 starts, at fullback. He had good speed but ran over defenders instead of going around them. In 1975, Otis led the league in rushing with 1,076 yards. After football, Otis worked in the mortgage lending business in the St. Louis area.
For Conner to eclipse Mitchell, he would need 887 yards this season to pass him and secure second place. This would mean that Conner was not only retained but also utilized quite a bit in the game plan.
