The Arizona Cardinals, just a few short months ago, had a running back issue: they didn’t have hardly any.
Starter James Conner was out all season when he suffered a foot injury in Week 3. His sidekick was Trey Benson, who was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. In the following game, Benson went down with a meniscus injury.
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Suddenly, the third-string running back, Emari Demercado, was suddenly the starting back. Bam Knight had made the final roster
as a return man, and now was being used to supplement Demercado. Practice squad player Michael Carter was elevated to the main roster, and Corey Kiner was grabbed off the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings when Knight was injured later in the year. Two practice squad running backs, Sincere McCormick and Montrell Johnson Jr., were waived.
Backups and practice squad guys. That was Arizona’s running game. At season’s end, this group was ranked #31.
During the offseason, Carter signed with the Tennessee Titans to be reunited with his former coach, and Demercado was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Knight was re-signed, and Kiner was retained.
All the while, the Cardinals got a new running back coach, Matt Merritt. At this point, there weren’t many healthy bodies on the roster.
It was thought that Benson would return last season after being placed on IR. His 21-day practice window was opened on November 19. However, he didn’t look good at any of the practice sessions, and the coaching staff decided not to activate him. This went on for several weeks as the franchise had until December 10 to activate him, and finally, he remained on IR.
Going forward
From Week 4 to the end of the year in 2025, the Cardinals did not have a true starting running back on the roster. They were forced to use backups and guys claimed off of a practice squad to finish out the season.
Meanwhile, both Conner and Benson continued to rehab.
The problem with Benson was that he had a setback with joint effusion. This is typically a sterile, low-grade inflammatory process that can persist for weeks or even months. It all depends on whether the patient returns to stressful activity too soon or experiences repetitive loading. Basically, he had inflammation of the knee, which was causing a prolonged recovery.
While getting ready for the free agency market in March, what was the status of each back? After all, if one or both running backs weren’t going to be ready and available in time for training camp, GM Monti Ossenfort would need to bring in a new guy who has had starting experience in this league.
With both Conner and Benson being unknown, Ossenfort reached out and signed veteran Tyler Allgeier away from the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
Which means what exactly?
If both Conner and Benson are completely healthy, all of their rehab is done, and they have the green light from the doctors, it should be back to last year’s plan, right? Conner as the bruising starter, with Benson as the quick sidekick, with a dose of Knight sprinkled in on occasion?
It would seem that Allgeier was the safety valve. He is a starting-caliber back who had his job taken away from him. In his rookie year, he started just seven games and ran for 1,035 yards on 210 carries with 53 first down conversions, three TDs, a 4.9 yards per attempt average, plus had 16 receptions for 139 yards and another score.
The following April, Atlanta drafted Bijon Robinson out of Texas with the eighth overall pick, two spots after Arizona took OT Paris Johnson. So long, Allgeier, welcome to the NFL, young Bijon was the Falcons’ new attitude.
Allgeier signed with the Cardinals to retake his place as a starting NFL running back, instead of being relegated to the pine and a carry here and there.
The love nest
With so many months before the 2026 NFL draft, the Cardinals were linked to several players, mostly OT Francis Mauigoa, EDGE David Bailey, and EDGE Arvell Reese. As April approached, suddenly the name of RB Jeremyiah Love of Notre Dame began to surface.
With a running back room of Conner, Benson, Knight, and now Allgeier, certainly Arizona would go in a different direction, correct?
If they choose Love, they are stating that he is the starting running back in Week 1. There is a saying: The NFL draft shows your actual worth, and not your perceived value. If the Cardinals took Love with the #3 pick, they are saying that he is not only the future of this offense, but he is the present as well.
Arizona ditched its defensive-minded head coach and hired Mike LaFleur from the Los Angeles Rams, an offensive guy. In no time, the Cardinals will resemble both the Rams and the 49ers on that side of the ball. Which is a very good thing.
And LaFleur wanted Love. So, Ossenfort drafted him. Now, would LaFleur have insisted on Love if Conner and Benson weren’t injured last year? Probably. That is a good tandem.
Benson has 4.39 speed. He gained almost 1,000 yards in each of his last two seasons at Florida State and scored 24 touchdowns. He is a very good receiver and has that extra gear. He demonstrates serious strength and balance and will use his frame to run aggressively. Is he a good pass blocker? No. Does he exhibit improved understanding of angles and block following? Yes indeed.
Conner, on the other hand, is a beast of a blocker. He is able to pick up blitzes and will not shy away from any linebacker, safety, or even a rogue defensive lineman. He runs in a direct line, and if a defender is in his lane, then he deals with it. About the same height as Love, but he has an extra 20 pounds of punch behind his running. Before the injury last year, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in the past two seasons and was an exceptional part of the passing attack.
Love is an exceptional running back. Some media outlets have used the word “generational” to describe his abilities, which probably is giving the talented back too much credit. But he is pretty damn good.
He was a prevailing back in college football in 2025. How long has Notre Dame been offering and playing football? With this in mind, Love broke or tied seven school records in the sport:
Consecutive Games with a Rushing TD: 13 games (set in 2024)
Single-Season Total Touchdowns: Broke the record for most total TDs (21)
Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns: Tied the school record (18)
Longest Rushing TD (CFP): 98-yard touchdown run
Single-Game Rushing Yards at Notre Dame Stadium: 228 yards
First player in Notre Dame history to record multiple seasons with 17+ rushing touchdowns: 17 (2024), 18 (2025)
Recorded 495 career touches without a fumble
For decades, the pinnacle of college football has been Notre Dame. How many running backs have come and gone from this storied program? And suddenly, Love comes along and not only dominates college football for two years, but sets longtime school records?
They have Connor, Benson, Allgeier, and now Love.
Expectations
What is going to happen from this point going forward? Most clubs only keep three running backs. Occasionally, a team will retain four, but that means one less defensive lineman, offensive lineman, or defensive back will be on the roster.
Bam Knight might find a roster spot as a kickoff returner if he can show his worth in this regard. But currently, the depth chart lists WR Devin Duvernay as both punt and kickoff returner. He was signed as a return man.
But what about Benson? The team has had high hopes since taking him in the third round, and he has great speed. Benson is awesome, but he honestly can’t compete with Love. If he can stay healthy, he will most likely become RB3 or get traded. He still has trade value.
Unfortunately, when Conner went down last year, that was Benson’s time to shine. It was very unfortunate that only one week went by before he sustained his own injury that eliminated him from the entire season. Not his fault, but also an untimely opportunity.
And Conner? Does he become a permanent backup, or will he be traded as well? In training camp, he will be fighting for the backup RB role with Allgeier and probably Benson. In March, he restructured his contract that kept him on the roster with one year remaining on his deal. He is known as a leader, a fan favorite, and a key locker room presence. The nine-year veteran has rushed for 6,065 yards with a ton of catches (289) for 2,255 yards in his NFL career, so he has an advantage with the passing game. Conner has 72 total touchdowns, of which 60 were on the ground.
Conner faces a competitive backfield and will turn 31 this spring. He has two Pro Bowls, one while with Arizona. He is the former ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-American, so he has juice. He has been present in the Cardinals’ offseason program.
He was excellent on the field when healthy, but when he returns, what will become his status as an NFL running back? Will he be able to cut as before? Will he become more tentative with cuts? Will he still have that secondary gear when he pops free?
All of these questions can be asked of Benson as well, who has had a rough time with this recovery and rehab. For the Cardinals, who do they keep?
And any conversation on what to keep and what to get rid of, just might begin with financials for the upcoming season:
- James Conner: Year 2 of two-year extension, cap hit of $4.83 million
- Trey Benson: Year 3 of a four-year rookie deal, cap hit of $1.65 million
- Tyler Allgeier: Year 1 of two-year deal, cap hit of $4.35 million
- Bam Knight: Year 1 of one-year deal, cap hit of $1.195 million
- Corey Kiner: Year 2 of two-year deal, cap hit of $1.05 million
We all know Love will be a key component in the transition from Jonathan Gannon to LaFleur in 2026.
The only question remains: Who will become Love’s running mates?
