The Arizona Cardinals are heavily reliant on their run game, which ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing yards and second in yards per carry. That’s what makes James Conner’s knee injury something to monitor leading up to Saturday night’s game at SoFi Stadium.
The Los Angeles Rams are hosting the Cardinals in a Week 17 game that means a lot to them and has no playoff implications for Arizona. It’s reasonable to think the Cardinals could hold out Conner in a meaningless game, but he still has a chance to play against the Rams.
Here’s the latest on Conner, who injured his knee in Week 16 against the Panthers and was unable to return to the field.
James Conner injury update
Conner was a limited participant in practice all three days this week, so there’s no clear indication of whether he’ll be healthy enough to play on Saturday night. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN did provide an update on his status for this game Friday, posting that Conner is “trending in the right direction.”
#Cardinals RB James Conner (questionable, knee) is ‘trending in the right direction’ for Saturday vs. #Rams, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 27, 2024
Cardinals RB depth chart
The Cardinals’ depth chart at running back is murky at best behind Conner. His backup, Trey Benson, is also questionable to play after being limited all week.
DeeJay Dallas is the only other running back on the 53-man roster, with Michael Carter on the practice squad.