James Conner is one of the most important birds in the Arizona Cardinals’ nest. Now they might have to find out what life is like without him.
The Cardinals’ running back was carted off the field on Sunday in San Francisco after taking a low hit.
It was an ugly scene for Conner, who has been a model of consistency since joining Arizona. The former Pittsburgh Steeler has been through a lot in his career and, by the looks of it, will have another tough road ahead.
Here’s the latest on Conner.
James Conner injury update
Conner has been ruled out with an ankle injury.
The running back took a low hit in the third quarter and went down in a heap of pain after his leg was bent back awkwardly.
He was promptly carted off the field with the team surrounding him – a sign of just how serious the injury might be. Fox elected not to show the replay.
Conner exited with nine carries for 22 yards to go along with three catches 15 yards.
Cardinals RB depth chart
Trey Benson
Emari Demercado
Without Conner, this is a thin running back room for the Cardinals. The second-year back, Benson, figures to step in as the starter for Arizona. He’s had a limited impact through his first season-plus, primarily because of Conner’s presence.
Benson did total 69 yards in Week 1 – the best total of his career. He followed it up with just 14 yards in Week 2, but will become much more of a necessity now.
Demercado will serve as the backup in the meantime. It’s unclear how Bam Knight will factor into the backfield going forward, but he was inactive on Sunday.