The Arizona Cardinals dropped to 3-7 after a 41-22 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11, but the final score was not their only loss. The team’s running back depth took another significant hit when Emari Demercado went down with a high ankle sprain, leaving an already thin position group scrambling for options heading into Week 12.
What Are Arizona’s Running Back Options Without Demercado?
On Tuesday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter delivered the bad news regarding Demercado’s status for the Cardinals’ upcoming matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In a post on X, he said, “Initial tests revealed that Cardinals RB Emari Demercado suffered a high ankle sprain against the 49ers and now is unlikely to play Sunday vs. the Jaguars, per source.”
Initial tests revealed that Cardinals RB Emari Demercado suffered a high ankle sprain against the 49ers and now is unlikely to play Sunday vs. the Jaguars, per source. pic.twitter.com/HThlzU9mHm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 18, 2025
This is a tough blow for a team that has not had a healthy running back room at all this year. James Conner suffered a season-ending injury in September, and rookie Trey Benson has been on the injured reserve since a Week 4 injury. Recent comments from head coach Jonathan Gannon suggest it will be a little longer before Benson is ready to return.
With the backfield depleted, here are the other options that quarterback Jacoby Brissett will have to work with:
Bam Knight
Bam Knight is now in his third NFL season with his third team. After going undrafted out of North Carolina State in 2022, he signed with the New York Jets and had a decent role, playing in seven games. In that stretch, he rushed for 300 yards and a touchdown on 85 attempts and added 13 receptions for 100 yards.
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The following year with the Detroit Lions, Knight played in only two games, rushing for 13 yards on three carries. Knight was then signed by the Cardinals in 2024 but did not play at all that season due to tearing his ACL, MCL, and Meniscus.
So far in 2025, he has appeared in eight games, rushing for 181 yards and three touchdowns on 54 attempts. As a pass catcher, he has caught 12 passes for 86 yards.
Michael Carter
Michael Carter has played for two teams in his career after being drafted by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. His best season was his rookie year in New York, when he recorded 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 147 attempts. Additionally, he caught 36 passes for 325 yards.
In six games this season with Arizona, Carter has rushed for 107 yards and one touchdown on 40 attempts. As a receiver, he has 14 receptions for 99 yards.
This season, the Cardinals’ offense ranks 20th in PFSN’s Offensive Impact metric, with a letter grade of C- and an impact score of 72.4. For their game against the Jaguars, the team will likely cycle these two running backs to carry the load.