Green Bay bypassed an easy waiver claim on Arizona’s Trey Benson, but don’t count the Packers out of the sweepstakes just yet. The 2024 3rd-round talent could still end up in Green Bay before the regular season kicks off.
After getting cleared from the waiver wire untouched, Benson landed straight on the Cardinals’ injured reserve. A direct casualty of an overloaded backfield after Arizona added Tyler Allgeier and drafted Jeremiyah Love 3rd overall.
The move paves the way for a potential injury settlement and an immediate path to free agency.
For Green Bay, the timing couldn’t have been cleaner.
With their backfield depth behind Josh Jacobs already a big question, the Packers now have a clear opening to land a high-upside runner without burning waiver priority or draft capital.
Packers Can Still Land Cardinals’ Trey Benson
GettyCadinals put Trey Benson on IR list, leaving door open for Green Bay Packers.
From here, tt can go two ways for Benson.
Either the Cardinals keep Benson on injured reserve for the rest of the season. Since he has no return tag, he would be simply sitting on the sideline, with the Cardinals having to absorb his contract for another season. A loss-loss for both.
Instead, they could sign an injury settlement with him, making him a free agent for other teams to sign
A to Z Sports’ Wendell Ferreira lays out exactly why the Packers might have been waiting for that injury settlement all along.
“Once a settlement is reached, Benson goes through waivers again, then becomes a free agent. The Packers could then bring him in for a visit when he is fully healthy, evaluate the medical situation with far more clarity, and potentially sign him to the practice squad. That could happen during the regular season,” Ferreira writes.
“This path gives Green Bay a significant advantage compared to the waiver process. Instead of committing a roster spot to a player with an unclear injury, the Packers would be able to evaluate Benson in person, understand his health, and make a decision with full information.”
Green Bay Might Have Been Waiting All Along
GettyCadinals put Trey Benson on IR list, leaving door open for Green Bay Packers.
Plus, situations like these are classic Brian Gutekunst reclamation plays. Gutekunst’s signature move is scooping up former Day 2 talents the moment another franchise gives up on them.
What makes it an even more of a no-brainer is that Green Bay doesn’t need to trade an asset or burn a waiver claim. Once the injury settlement drops, Benson becomes a zero-risk signing.
“It was always unlikely that Green Bay (or any team) would claim Benson through the waiver process. The Packers would have had to absorb his contract and add him to the 90-man roster without a real understanding of the injury. From one day to the next, it is difficult to evaluate a player’s medical situation with enough clarity to justify that kind of commitment,” Ferreira continues.
Benson was a top-70 pick in 2024 with rare 4.39 speed and elite contact balance. Besides Jacobs at RB1, the depth behind him is fluid with MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Pierre Strong. Packers get a low-risk, high-talent 3rd-rounder in Benson to fill that gap and potentially be a strong backup for Jacobs.
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