Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner suffered an apparent injury in the club’s Week 9 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Here’s the latest from Sunday’s game.
What Happened to James Conner?
Conner was flipped upside down after being tackled following a six-yard run near Chicago’s goal line with 3:36 remaining in the second quarter.
The 29-year-old was slow to get up; once Conner left the field, he immediately headed for the blue medical tent along the Cardinals’ sideline.
James Conner –
This’ll hurt. Flips in air and lands hard on his back. Hopefully more pain versus injury for Conner. pic.twitter.com/LEnFAht26g
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) November 3, 2024
Conner was spotted chatting with his teammates after exiting the tent. The veteran back didn’t leave for the locker room even though halftime was right around the corner, which could signal that his injury wasn’t severe.
Cardinals reporter Bo Brack indicated that Conner was being evaluated for a concussion and cleared the tests.
James Conner cleared from the concussion tests in the blue tent.
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) November 3, 2024
Conner had taken 11 carries for 73 scoreless yards before departing. He ultimately finished the game with 18 carries for 107 yards, while also adding three catches for 12 yards.
Third-round rookie running back Trey Benson finished off the drive on which Conner got hurt, scoring his first career touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Emari Demercado and Trey McBride also scored rushing touchdowns on Sunday, which was certainly frustrating for fantasy managers with Conner.
Fantasy Impact of Conner’s Injury
Fortunately, Conner seems fine, so there is nothing to be worried about from an injury standpoint.
However, Benson’s score could be a sign of things to come. The Florida State product hasn’t seen much action this season (Weeks 1-8: 33 touches), but the pedigree is there, and Arizona drafted him knowing that their RB1 has missed multiple games in every season of his career.
The logistics behind Benson returning value are a little tough — the New York Jets await in Week 10, and then Arizona goes on bye. That said, he’s a worthwhile stash regardless of Conner’s status. Benson could be an RB2 during the Cardinals’ favorable end-to-the-season schedule should the veteran RB miss significant time.
— PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe