The Arizona Cardinals now sit at 1-1 in preseason play.
This follows a convincing 27-14 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.
The quarterbacks continue to shine in an unexpected turn, while rookie running back Jeremiyah Love excelled in his professional debut. Running back has been a focus for the Cardinals this offseason, so the conversation resting in who is making the 53-man roster is a natural progression.
The sheer depth of the running back room that is led by Love opens the door for an “odd man out” situation.
Moe Morton of Bleacher Report believes that Trey Benson is the ultimate victim of this reality.
This is an unfortunate result of rostering numerous capable players at the position, but it is something that the coaching staff must address in the weeks ahead.
What’s Holding Benson Back
Benson, a third round pick in 2024, has played sparingly over 17 appearances in his career. The third-year back began to emerge early in the 2025 season. Unfortunately, a torn meniscus in a September 25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks ended his season.
While Benson actively displayed promise (including catching 13 of 16 targets), his health and lack of sample clearly opened the door for the organization to look elsewhere. General manager Monti Ossenfort managed to agree with James Conner on a restructured contract. He then signed former Atlanta Falcon Tyler Allgeier to a two-year contract.
The selection of Love with the third overall pick in April extended the notion that Benson may not return.
Head coach Mike LaFleur announcing that a “flair up” of Benson’s surgically repaired knee created even more conversation about his future. Benson being unable to separate himself is setting himself up to be the odd man out at the moment – fair or not.
Benson Has Ability to Stick on Roster
GettyBenson has a path to making Arizona’s roster.
The Florida State product still has an outside chance to make the final 53-man arrangement. Two factors must play in his favor for this to take place, however.
The first one rests in Conner’s status. While the fifth-year Cardinal is valuable insurance in the room, he is absolutely a trade candidate. The RB-needy Green Bay Packers have been floated as a possible destination for Conner, so this should be monitored.
Whether LeFleur opts to keep three or four running backs is the other major factor. The odds of Benson making the roster increase in the event that Conner is traded. There is also a clear path to Bam Knight definitively usurping Benson on the depth chart.
Even if Benson makes the roster, he will likely be firmly in fourth-string territory.
Benson Selection is Low Point for Ossenfort
GettyOssenfort’s selection of Benson is a miss to this point.
Ossenfort’s selection of Benson with the 66th pick in 2024 was met with praise at first.
It hasn’t aged too well in the time since.
Benson is an explosive athlete and a dynamic pass catcher. He is also injury-prone to this point and has yet to prove that he will be an every down back in the future.
Ossenfort has had numerous misfires over his tenure as Arizona’s decision maker, but this singular one has potential to define his entire run.
Arizona Cardinals RB Trey Benson in Danger of Missing Roster