Trey Benson stepped up to fill a significant hole at running back for the Arizona Cardinals after James Conner’s season-ending injury. The second-year player from Florida State University took over Conner’s workload, recording 160 yards on 29 carries in four games before his own momentum was cut short.
Now, after a stint on injured reserve, the Cardinals and their fans are asking one big question as a crucial divisional matchup looms.
Trey Benson Injury Update
The Cardinals have already ruled out Benson for the upcoming game against the Seattle Seahawks. He suffered a knee injury in an earlier game this season against the Seahawks, which led to his placement on injured reserve. The IR rules require a player to miss at least four games, making the Week 10 contest the first game for which Benson was eligible to return.
In a recent media session, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon provided a cautiously optimistic update. “He’s doing well, he’s getting better,” Gannon said, reassuring fans that the running back’s recovery is on track.
On Wednesday, Gannon said, “He’s doing well. Take it day by day there. He’s not gonna be out there today but he is doing better. What does close mean? I don’t know what close means. Take it day by day.”
This suggests a positive trajectory and indicates that Benson is expected to return to play this season. Additionally, Gannon mentioned that Benson has been participating in team and position meetings to get his mind back into football.
However, it sounds more likely that Gannon wants to be cautious with the injury and avoid rushing Benson back into action. “We’ll see how it goes,” he added, indicating that a return is close for the running back.
Ultimately, Gannon is not committing to a timeline. Benson is clearly still in the recovery process, so the team is likely to give him another week if needed. Knee injuries in young running backs can be particularly tricky, and the Cardinals will likely prioritize his long-term health over a single game.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, the Cardinals have the 20th-best offense in the league. Benson’s potential return next week will be a huge boost for Arizona.
With Benson out against the Seahawks, Arizona will probably stick with Zonovan Knight and Emari Demercado in the backfield. Both players are listed as the starter and second-string running back, respectively, on the team’s depth chart. Knight and Demercado have shown potential within the running-back-by-committee approach the Cardinals are currently using.
In six games played this season, Knight has 129 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 38 attempts, along with seven receptions for 60 yards. Meanwhile, in seven games, Demercado has 169 rushing yards on 22 attempts and three receptions for 12 yards.
Arizona Cardinals’ Insights for Week 10
Team: In Week 4 against Seattle, Arizona scored 14 points in less than six minutes to tie the game with 28 seconds left. Jason Myers won the game for the Seahawks with a 52-yard field goal as time expired.
QB: Jacoby Brissett’s 82.8 QBi score is tenth in the league. All three of his starts had a weekly rank of 13th or higher.
Offense: The Cardinals have one turnover in their three wins and seven turnovers in the five losses.
Defense: Arizona’s 81.3 DEFi against Dallas was the 6th best in Week 9. The Cowboys have the fourth-best offense according to OFFi.
Fantasy: Since taking over for an injured Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett has posted at least 19.7 fantasy points in each of his three starts. The last time Murray accomplished this feat was in Weeks 8, 9, and 12 of the 2022 season. Murray failed to reach 19 fantasy points in any of his starts this season.