In his Cardinals debut, Carter took on a surprising snap share (38 percent) behind starting running back James Conner (42 percent) while ranking ahead of the returning Emari Demercado (20 percent). Carter actually outproduced Conner in total yards, 34-32, on two fewer touches, and Demercado was a distant third in the category with three touches (all carries) for 15 yards. Arizona may have been easing Demercado back in after he missed the previous three contests due to a toe injury, but the breakdown of reps between the three bears watching to see if Carter may be the preferred No. 2 RB option ahead of Demercado, starting Sunday in Pittsburgh.
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ACTIVELatest Michael Carter news
Rushing
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | FD | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | NYJ | 9 | 8 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | ARI | 1 | 4 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | NYJ | 16 | 114 | 402 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 19 | 2 |
| 2021 | NYJ | 14 | 147 | 639 | 4 | 4 | 55 | 25 | 1 |
Receiving
In his Cardinals debut, Carter took on a surprising snap share (38 percent) behind starting running back James Conner (42 percent) while ranking ahead of the returning Emari Demercado (20 percent). Carter actually outproduced Conner in total yards, 34-32, on two fewer touches, and Demercado was a distant third in the category with three touches (all carries) for 15 yards. Arizona may have been easing Demercado back in after he missed the previous three contests due to a toe injury, but the breakdown of reps between the three bears watching to see if Carter may be the preferred No. 2 RB option ahead of Demercado, starting Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Arizona claimed Carter off waivers from the Jets on Nov. 15, but he didn't have enough time to learn the playbook before the team's Week 11 game four days later. With a week and a half under his belt, though, he'll be among the two options behind starting RB James Conner along with Emari Demercado (toe), while Keaontay Ingram is a healthy scratch.
After the Jets waived him Tuesday, Carter was claimed by the Cardinals on Wednesday, but the brief time to get acclimated to a new offense won't allow him to be available for his new team right off the bat. With Emari Demercado (toe) also out, Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones will be the reserve running backs behind top option James Conner in Week 11.
James Conner owns Arizona's backfield when healthy, and he proved as much this past Sunday against the Falcons after a stint on IR, handling 63 percent of snaps and turning 16 carries into 73 yards. That left only three rushes combined for Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones, and with the team claiming Carter off waivers Wednesday, his presence may result in Jones not being elevated from the practice squad this week. On the season, Carter averaged 4.8 yards on his eight carries and also hauled in 15 of 20 targets for 68 yards in nine games for the Jets.
Despite having James Conner (knee) back in the fold as of this past Sunday against the Falcons, the Cardinals are exploring all options to round out their backfield depth. Carter didn't get much work in nine appearances for the Jets this season, but he did average 4.8 yards on his eight carries and also reeled in 15 of his 20 targets. Behind Conner, Carter will join Emari Demercado (toe) and Keaontay Ingram as reserve RBs on Arizona's active roster.
Carter accounted for 964 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns over 14 games as a rookie in 2021, but his role has declined in the subsequent two seasons with the Jets drafting a franchise back in 2022 in Breece Hall and bringing in a high-profile free agent in Dalvin Cook this offseason. While serving as the Jets' No. 3 option, Carter has eight carries for 38 yards to go with 15 catches for 48 yards over nine games. His lack of efficiency as the team's third-down back appears to be the impetus for the Jets to move on from him and open up opportunities for rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda, who had yet to make his NFL debut.
Carter took advantage of some extra usage in a blowout Week 9 loss en route to a season-high six catches, but this game was competitive throughout, so Carter ceded the majority of snaps to Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. Hall was on the field for 46 of New York's 66 offensive snaps, while Cook played 10 and Carter played nine.
Team
Arizona Cardinals
Birthdate
5/7/1999 (24)
Status
Active
HT/WT
5'8", 201 lbs
Draft Info
2021: Rd 4; Pk 107 (NYJ)
Birthplace
Navarre, FL, USA
Position
RB
College
North Carolina
Experience
3rd season
Career History
New York Jets
2021 - 2024
(3 seasons)
Arizona Cardinals
2023 - Present
(1 season)
Previous Game
14
Final
37
19
YDS
5
AVG
0
TD
2023 Season Stats
ATT
RUSH YDS
RUSH TDS
REC
REC TDS
12
57
0
19
0
|
Recent Games
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rushing
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receiving
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Result
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AVG
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TD
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LNG
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FD
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REC
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TGTS
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YAC
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11/26
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L 14-37
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4
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19
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4.8
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0
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7
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1
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4
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4
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15
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3.8
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0
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7
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10
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11/12
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L 12-16
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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11/6
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L 6-27
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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6
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6
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24
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4
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0
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7
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25
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10/29
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W 13-10
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2
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2
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1
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0
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1
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0
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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10/15
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W 20-14
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1
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5
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5
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0
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5
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0
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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