The Arizona Cardinals continue to wait for reinforcements in their backfield as they approach Week 10. Trey Benson has now missed four games and five weeks due to his knee injury. When will fantasy football managers get Benson back on the field?
Trey Benson Injury Update
Benson has been sidelined for over a month since sustaining his knee injury during Arizona’s Week 4 matchup against Seattle. The issue was initially thought to be minor, but additional testing revealed a meniscus tear that required surgery. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Benson underwent an arthroscopic procedure to repair the tear, with a projected recovery window of four to six weeks.
The rookie was placed on injured reserve on October 1, making him ineligible to return for at least four games under league rules. After the Cardinals play Monday night against the Seahawks, Benson will be eligible for activation.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon provided an update on Benson’s recovery status on Wednesday. As reported by AZ Central’s Theo Mackie, Gannon stated Benson is “doing well” and “getting better” but confirmed he wouldn’t practice Wednesday. “He’s back into the mold of not just our return-to-play phase. There’s early return-to-play, you’re just in the training room the whole time with the performance staff and with the athletic training staff. And then as they get closer, you start to assimilate them into meetings again so they get their mind back on football a little bit too. But he’s at that point right now. So we’ll see how it goes,” Gannon explained.
Benson did not return to practice this week as the Cardinals have not yet opened Benson’s 21-day practice window.
Since being placed on IR, the Cardinals have offered minimal updates on Benson’s progress until this week. There have been no reports of setbacks, and Gannon’s comments suggest the recovery is progressing as planned. The team appears to be following its standard conservative approach with injured players.
In Week 10, Benson has reached the five-week mark post-surgery, which aligns with the original four-to-six-week recovery projection. While it was possible he could return as soon as Week 11, we will have to wait and see what transpires over the next few days.
The team’s long-term perspective for Benson, who represents a key component of their offensive future, likely outweighs any short-term benefit of rushing him back one week early. Fantasy managers should expect Benson to remain on injured reserve for at least one more week.
Benson Fantasy Outlook
Benson’s return can’t come soon enough for a Cardinals offense that’s struggled to find consistency since his injury. During his absence, Arizona has cycled through Michael Carter, Bam Knight, and Emari Demercado, creating an unreliable committee with limited fantasy value.
Before getting hurt, Benson had been on an upward trajectory, accumulating 29 carries for 160 yards and 13 receptions for 64 yards through four games. He delivered efficient production on a per-touch basis and provided dual-threat capability that neither Carter nor Knight has fully replaced.
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When he does return, Benson should immediately reclaim lead-back duties. Arizona has lacked explosiveness in the running game, and Benson’s speed and burst provide him a clear advantage over the other options. Still, fantasy managers who’ve held him through this prolonged absence will need to remain patient at least one more week.
Benson projects as an RB2-level starter for the fantasy stretch run once healthy and active. For now, his timeline remains tied to the Cardinals’ cautious medical approach rather than his readiness to play.