Cardinals RB Trey Benson Will Not Return This Season
The Cardinals opened running back Trey Benson‘s 21-day practice window on Nov. 19. Three weeks later, Benson isn’t ready to return from injured reserve. He’ll miss the rest of the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Benson hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury in a Week 4 loss to the Seahawks. The 2024 third-round pick from Florida State will wrap up his second season in the NFL with 160 rushing yards on 29 carries (5.5 YPC). He added 13 catches for another 64 yards.
The Cardinals lost Benson a week after James Conner went down with a season-ending foot injury. With Benson, Conner, and mobile quarterback Kyler Murray largely unavailable because of injuries, Arizona ranks 26th in the NFL in rushing. The Cardinals are one of seven teams averaging fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground. That’s among the many reasons they’re 3-10 and on track to pick near the top of the 2026 draft.
Zonovan Knight leads the team with 271 rushing yards, but he has averaged a meager 3.3 per attempt. Emari Demercado has posted a whopping 7.8 YPC on just 31 totes, though an ankle injury has held him out of three straight games.
While it’s unclear if Demercado will return against the Texans in Week 15, the Cardinals will go without left tackle Paris Johnson, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. Johnson, one of the league’s top tackles, is dealing with a sprained MCL. His absence will make it even more difficult for Arizona to pull an upset over Houston and its No. 1-ranked defense.
Cardinals RT Jonah Williams To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Cardinals right tackle Jonah Williams will miss the rest of the 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Friday (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss).
Williams, 28, started the Cardinals’ first nine games of the season before going down in Week 10. Kelvin Beachum closed out the game, but picked up a groin injury. He still started in Week 11, but had to be replaced by Josh Fryar. Beachum has missed practice all week, which will likely position Fryar, an undrafted rookie, for his first career start.
Williams is set to hit free agency this offseason, and he seems like a long shot to re-sign in Arizona. The Cardinals gave him a two-year, $30MM contract in 2024 after four years in Cincinnati, but since then, Williams has only started 15 games. He was excellent in 2024, allowing just seven pressures and zero sacks in six games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This year, he took a step back this year with 21 pressures and three sacks allowed through nine games. Williams’ contract will void on February 20, per OverTheCap, which will leave $7MM in dead money on the Cardinals’ salary cap.
The Cardinals seem headed towards a major shake-up this offseason after hopes of a 2025 bounce-back quickly gave way to disappointment over a losing record. Among their needs will be a new right tackle. No obvious long-term candidate is on the roster, though Fryar or Demontrey Jacobs could both have opportunities to audition this year.
Arizona also signed practice squad running back Jermar Jefferson to the active roster and filled his spot with running back Sincere McCormick, per team reporter Darren Urban. Those moves suggest that Trey Benson, who is on injured reserve with his practice window opened, is not ready to be activated and will not play on Sunday against the Jaguars.
Cardinals Open RB Trey Benson’s Practice Window, Sign P Matt Haack
A knee injury has kept Cardinals running back Trey Benson out for most of the season, but a return is on the horizon. The Cardinals opened his practice window on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate him from IR.
Benson totaled 29 carries and 160 yards (5.5 YPC) in four games before landing on the shelf on Oct. 1. The 2024 third-round pick went down the week after the Cardinals lost starting running back James Conner to a season-ending foot injury.
With Benson and Conner out of commission, the Cardinals have turned to Zonovan Knight, Emari Demercado, and Michael Carter as their top three backs. Knight and Carter have each averaged under 3.5 yards per carry on a combined 93 attempts.
Demercado has totaled just 31 carries, but he has managed an outstanding 7.8 yards per rush. However, he’ll miss this Sunday’s game against the Jaguars with an ankle injury. It’s unclear whether Benson will be available to help fill the void.
While Benson’s Week 12 status is up in the air, the Cardinals are guaranteed to debut a new punter. After cutting Pat O’Donnell on Tuesday, the team signed veteran Matt Haack to its active roster on Wednesday, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Haack has played for five teams since his career began in 2017. His most recent action came over four games with the Giants last season. The 31-year-old owns a career average of 44.2 yards per punt with a net of 39.7.
Haack will be the third punter of 2025 for Arizona, which placed starter Blake Gillikin on IR with a back injury on Oct. 11. The Arizona State alumnus spent part of the 2023 offseason with the Cardinals. He tried out with the Cardinals when they were looking for Gillikin’s replacement, but they signed O’Donnell instead.
Cardinals Place RB Trey Benson On IR
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that running back Trey Benson is being placed on injured reserve, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Benson suffered a knee injury late in Arizona’s Week 4 matchup against the Seahawks last Thursday, but it was not originally thought to be serious, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That assessment changed very quickly; Benson has already undergone arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus and is expected to miss four to six weeks, according to Schefter.
Benson’s injury is another hit to a Cardinals backfield that already lost James Conner for the season. 2023 UDFA Emari Demercado will likely take over starting duties with Zonovan Knight and Michael Carter rotating in. Arizona also has D’Ernest Johnson on their practice squad.
Demercado has two starts in his career but has never been a lead back for multiple games. Knight has been a healthy scratch in two games with zero touches in the other two. Carter has been in the the NFL the longest, but his production has dipped significant since the start of his career.
The Cardinals have a Week 8 bye, so Benson’s four-game minimum IR stay would not elapse until Week 10, which fits with his projected recovery timeline. He may have a chance at returning to practice as soon as he’s eligible, though Arizona will likely give him time to ramp up after surgery.
In the meantime, the Cardinals were already struggling to move the ball on offense before their top two RBs went down. Now, quarterback Kyler Murray will be asked to do even more, though his performance to open the season has been underwhelming.
Cardinals’ Isaiah Adams In “Pole Position” For Starting RG Job; RB Trey Benson Hopes To Earn More Carries
Isaiah Adams, one of four third-round picks the Cardinals made in 2024, started at right guard over the last five games of his rookie season after seeing sporadic playing time prior to that point. Per Darren Urban of the team’s official website, Adams is in “pole position” to earn the starting RG gig in 2025.
In the estimation of Pro Football Focus, Adams did not play particularly well in his limited action last year. PFF assigned him a middling grade of 58.4, which placed him as the 52nd-best guard out of 77 qualified players. His 50.3 pass-blocking grade was the main culprit for that mark, which was mitigated by his above-average performance in the run game.
Regardless of whether the club’s view of Adams’ work aligns with PFF’s evaluation, the Cardinals clearly saw enough to pencil him in as a first-team blocker. One of his primary needs this offseason was to improve his strength, which he acknowledged was on the top of his agenda.
Urban leaves open the possibility of a veteran addition once training camp gets underway next month. However, given Adams’ draft status, the longtime Cardinals beat believes the club wants Adams to win the job.
Arizona did add Royce Newman in free agency this offseason. Newman served as the Packers’ primary right guard in 2021, but his playing time has gone down in each subsequent season. Green Bay waived him last August, and though the Bucs claimed him on waivers, he appeared in a grand total of three snaps for Tampa Bay in 2024. It therefore appears the RG job is Adams’ to lose.
One of Adams’ fellow 2024 third-rounders, running back Trey Benson, still finds himself behind RB1 James Conner on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Conner played in a career-high 16 games last season, which allowed him to set a personal high-water mark of 1,508 scrimmage yards while maintaining a healthy 4.6 yards-per-carry rate. He also added nine total TDs, and his efforts earned him an extension that will keep him in place through 2026.
Because of Conner’s performance and availability, Benson was limited to 63 totes in 2024. Like Conner, Benson managed 4.6 yards per carry, and he added bulk this offseason while simultaneously improving his speed, power, and explosiveness in an effort to earn more carries (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic).
Conner, 30, dealt with a lingering right knee injury last season, and though he was mostly able to play through it, the Cardinals shut him down for the 2024 finale (along with Benson). We have not heard anything troublesome about Conner’s health, but it would not be surprising for Arizona to lighten the veteran’s workload a bit in 2025 to see what one of its recent draftees can do.
For his part, Conner believes Benson is up to the task.
“He’s worked unbelievably this offseason,” Conner said of Benson. “Showed up every single day, working out together and yeah, he wants it. He wants it bad. That’s because he knows the type of player he can be. We all know that. … He was already a freak athlete before, but now … He’s a grown man out there.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/24
The last minor NFL transactions of the 2024 calendar year:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: C Nick Leverett
- Placed on IR: RB Trey Benson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB John Kelly
- Placed on IR: WR Cedric Tillman
- Waived (with injury settlement): LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Detroit Lions
- Waived: S Morice Norris
Houston Texans
- Signed off Saints’ practice squad: T Austin Deculus
- Placed on reserve/NFI: T Zachary Thomas
New Orleans Saints
- Signed of Cowboys’ practice squad: T Josh Ball
- Placed on IR: LB Jaylan Ford
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: K Greg Zuerlein
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: LB Dre Greenlaw (story)
Cardinals Sign Round 3 RB Trey Benson, Wrap Draft Class Deals
The Cardinals have completed rookie-deal negotiations with third-round pick Trey Benson. With Arizona announcing the running back’s signing Thursday, all non-first-round picks have agreed to their four-year rookie pacts.
Only three players remain unsigned. The Vikings have not signed either of their two first-rounders — J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner — and the Bengals have not yet come to terms with tackle Amarius Mims. Of course, modern rookie deals do not feature the kind of complications they brought before the 2011 CBA introduced the slot system. It should be expected Minnesota and Cincinnati will wrap these processes soon, as rookies are now in training camp.
Benson’s contract comes shortly after the Jets agreed to terms with their third-round pick, wide receiver Malachi Corley. Considering Corley was chosen one spot in front of the Florida State alum, who went 66th overall, the Cardinals’ final unsigned draftee appeared on track to finish off this process. After all, every other third-rounder — including the Cardinals’ other three Round 3 choices — had been signed for weeks now.
Arizona has not featured too much in the way of James Conner insurance during the ex-Steeler’s time in the desert. Benson stands to provide some and could well become Conner’s successor. The starter’s three-year, $21MM deal expires after the 2024 season. Entering this campaign, however, Benson should mix in as a backup. Conner has missed time in each of his three Cardinals seasons, however, clearing a path for the rookie and 2023 waiver claim Michael Carter.
This year’s draft did not feature the level of RB prospects the 2023 class brought. No back came off the board until the Panthers traded up for Jonathon Brooks at No. 46. Benson became the second RB selected. Benson put together 990- and 906-yard showings over the past two seasons with the Seminoles. The Oregon transfer caught 20 passes for 227 yards in 2023, completing a 15-touchdown college finale. Accumulating only 316 college carries, Benson soon clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine to present an intriguing profile for NFL teams.
Here is how the Cardinals’ 2024 draft class looks as first-year players get to work:
- Round 1, No. 4: Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 27 (from Texans): Darius Robinson (DL, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 43 (from Falcons): Max Melton (CB, Rutgers) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 66: Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
- Round 3, No. 71 (from Titans): Isaiah Adams (G, Illinois) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 82 (from Colts): Tip Reiman (TE, Illinois) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 90 (from Texans): Elijah Jones (CB, Boston College) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 104: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (S, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 138: Xavier Thomas (EDGE, Clemson) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 162 (from Texans): Christian Jones (OT, Texas) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Colts): Tejhaun Palmer (WR, UAB) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 226 (from Giants): Jaden Davis (CB, Miami) (signed)
Ten Unsigned 2024 Draft Picks Remain
The NFL collectively is ahead of where it was last year with regards to draft signings. Teams have navigated the guarantee issue second-round contracts presented in recent years. Unlike 2023, when 30 players were unsigned in late June and nearly half the second round was without contracts entering July, we are down to 10 unsigned rookies from the 2024 class. Here is the lot still without NFL contracts:
Round 1:
- No. 1 (Bears): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
- No. 8 (Falcons): Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
- No. 9 (Bears): Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
- No 10 (Vikings): J.J. McCarthy (QB, Michigan)
- No. 17 (Vikings): Dallas Turner (EDGE, Alabama)
- No. 18 (Bengals): Amarius Mims (T, Georgia)
- No. 31 (49ers): Ricky Pearsall (WR, Florida)
Round 2:
- No. 34 (Chargers): Ladd McConkey (WR, Georgia)
Round 3:
- No. 65 (Jets): Malachi Corley (WR, Western Kentucky)
- No. 66 (Cardinals): Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
The clearest difference between this year and last comes from the second round. On June 17, 2023, half the second-rounders were unsigned. The 2011 CBA introducing the slot system has removed most of the drama from rookie-deal negotiations, but second-rounders continue to make guarantee gains. This contractual component has complicated matters for teams in the past, but that has not been the case — for the most part — this year.
A number of 2021 second-round picks remain attached to their rookie deals. Those terms illustrate the improvements Round 2 draftees have made on that front since. The Jaguars did guarantee 2021 No. 33 pick Tyson Campbell‘s first three seasons; his fourth brought $50K guaranteed. This year, the Bills needed to guarantee nearly Keon Coleman‘s entire rookie contract. Coleman has three years locked in and $1.74MM of his $2.1MM 2027 base salary is guaranteed at signing. This year’s No. 59 overall pick (Texans tackle Blake Fisher) secured more in Year 4 guarantees than Campbell’s deal contains.
A sizable gap does exist between Coleman’s final-year guarantees and those of Falcons DT Ruke Orhorhoro (No. 35 overall). The Clemson product has $966K of his $2.1MM 2024 base guaranteed. This gulf has likely caused the holdup for the Chargers and McConkey, a player who — after the exits of longtime starters Keenan Allen and Mike Williams — stands to be a central figure in the Bolts’ first Jim Harbaugh-era offense. With the top players in Round 2 on the cusp of seeing fully guaranteed deals, McConkey can set another notable precedent while gaining some additional security for himself.
First-round contracts have only been fully guaranteed en masse since 2022, when Vikings safety Lewis Cine — chosen 32nd overall — secured those terms. Though, matters like offset language still have been known to slow negotiations. Extended holdouts into training camp no longer occur among rookies, with players risking the loss of an accrued season toward free agency — a product of the 2020 CBA — by doing so. Corley and Benson were this year’s top third-round picks. The 49ers gave No. 64 overall pick Renardo Green two fully guaranteed years. That has likely caused a holdup for the Jets and Cardinals, considering the progress made via contracts agreed to by earlier draftees.
NFL Draft Rumors: Falcons, Jaguars, Browns
The Falcons top two sack-getters last year (Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree) are currently free agents. And while free safety Jessie Bates‘ first season in Atlanta went swimmingly with career highs in tackles (132), forced fumbles (3), and interceptions (6), as well as Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, he seemed to be the only player showing up each Sunday for the Falcons.
With all this in mind, it’s no surprise to hear that adding draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball is expected to be a major focus for Atlanta come this week’s draft, according to Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network. In Caplan’s most recent mock draft, he slotted Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner as the team’s first-round pick. Previous iterations of his mock draft saw Atlanta taking Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins and Florida State pass rusher Jared Verse.
Going pass rusher seems to make more sense after losing Campbell and Dupree to free agency, but expect multiple picks throughout the three-day event to address both positions. Turner is likely the preferred option as most see him as the top pass rusher on the board, but Verse or even UCLA’s Laiatu Latu could be the selection if Turner is drafted before they have the chance to claim him.
Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:
- The Jaguars are another team who are expected to favor defensive prospects later this week, per Caplan. Their situation isn’t nearly as dire after bringing in Arik Armstead, Darnell Savage, and Ronald Darby, but they still lost Darious Williams, Rayshawn Jenkins, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Dawuane Smoot in free agency. Caplan has Jacksonville selecting Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry as the fourth cornerback off the board. The Jaguars definitely are going to want to add to their cornerbacks group, but unless they decide to trade up, they’ll have to see what’s left of McKinstry, Wiggins, Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold.
- The Browns expect to have Nick Chubb back at some point in the coming season and will rely on Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong, and D’Onta Foreman in the meantime. Seeing how fragile the room is without Chubb, though, Cleveland has done plenty of homework on the 2024 NFL Draft’s running backs class. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the team has hosted Florida State’s Trey Benson, TCU’s Emani Bailey, and BYU’s Aidan Robbins for “top 30” visits. They may be looking to add some quality depth to the position later this week.