The Arizona Cardinals will begin the season without running back James Conner. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reports that Conner has been placed on injured reserve, with a designation to return later in the season.
This move is hardly surprising, given that the veteran running back has not returned to full-team drills. Conner is recovering from foot surgery after suffering a gruesome injury in Week 3 of last season.
Given his surgery and bloated contract, the veteran back was a potential cap casualty. However, he restructured his contract in the offseason to ensure his place on the roster, knowing he had a long injury recovery ahead.
Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur did not say much regarding Conner’s availability for Week 1 ahead of their joint practices against the Green Bay Packers.
Cardinals Place RB James Conner on IR-Return Before Week 1
With James Conner nowhere close to returning, the move to place him on injured reserve made the most sense. While the Cardinals could have kept him on the active roster, they decided to not rush his return.
With Conner on injured reserve, he will miss the first four games of the season. The earliest he could play is their Week 5 contest against the Detroit Lions on October 11.
The Cardinals can designate up to two players placed on injured reserve during the 53-man roster cutdowns to return. One of them will go to Conner. It’s unclear if they’ll use it on another player.
The decision to put Conner on injured reserve also frees up a roster spot for the Cardinals to keep a player on the bubble. Arizona could hold onto a player they might have lost to waivers otherwise as a result.
When Conner returns to practice, the Cardinals will have a 21-day window to activate him to the 53-man roster. He would revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season if not activated in that window.
Cardinals RB Room After James Conner Roster Move
The Cardinals will go into their Week 1 showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers with Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier, and Bam Knight. However, the James Conner news could mean the team carries a fourth running back on their 53-man roster or practice squad.
Love’s situation will be worth monitoring over the next two weeks. He’s battling a high-ankle sprain, which he suffered in Arizona’s preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The latest on him is that he traveled with the team to Green Bay and did individual workouts. He was seen running barefoot at Lambeau Field before the preseason game. Most likely, he’s a game-time decision before the Chargers game.
Arizona has already said goodbye to Corey Kiner and Trey Benson. Kiner was traded to the New England Patriots for a 2028 seventh-rounder. Benson was waived with an injury designation ahead of joint practices with the Packers and reverted to injured reserve after going unclaimed.
Another running back to watch is Evan Hull, a later addition to camp. Hull shone in the Cardinals’ preseason finale against the Packers, rushing for 107 yards and two scores on 16 carries. One of them was a breakaway 47-yarder in the second quarter.
Cardinals Announce James Conner Week 1 Status Amid 53-Man Roster Cuts