The Arizona Cardinals announced a roster move Monday that took most by surprise. They released running back Eno Benjamin, who was the star of the offseason and had been the starting running back for three games while James Conner was hurt.
This, of course, led to questions as to what happened. Was it football-related, which seems odd considering his production this season, or was it something off the field?
It apparently was somewhat related to football.
According to Compare.bet’s Kyle Odegard, who used to be a reporter for the Cardinals’ official team site, “the decision was made because of Benjamin’s vocal displeasure with a diminishing role in the offense.” AZCentral Sports’ Kent Somer also reported this.
The release was a surprise for Benjamin, too.
Benjamin has been a fan favorite, considering he played collegiately at Arizona State. Another former Arizona State player, Jaelen Strong, who played three seasons in the NFL, tweeted he found out the reason for the release and indicated that, while petty, the team was not wrong for the move.
Is there some double standard going on in the locker room?
That depends.
Players often are unhappy about the role they play, especially when they have a limited role. How they handle it matters. It would appear that Benjamin let his unhappiness interfere with things on the field or in practice and was too vocal around coaches and teammates.
Had he had conversations with coach Kliff Kingsbury behind closed doors an continued to work while disappointed, this likely doesn’t happen.
Benjamin played only one snap in the Cardinals’ 27-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The message for the team over the last few weeks as they have struggled to get where they want to be has been that of staying together.
Griping about playing time when the team is winning is considered a no-no. If he was too vocal about it right after the Cardinals won, that would be too much.
That combined with a running back room that includes a young, promising Keaontay Ingram, the team probably felt a need to make sure the message of “team is more important than player” was enforced.
After all, Benjamin is a third-year backup running back. If receiver A.J. Green, a 12-year veteran who was one of the very best in the league at one point, can accept a reduced role with professionalism, Benjamin should as well, especially since his role can suddenly increase at a moment’s notice.
Kingsbury raved about the strides Benjamin made in maturity and professionalism over his first three years in the league. He apparently took a step back or did not make quite enough progress to stay with the team for the rest of the season.
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