Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers did not go as designed. For one, the scoreboard stated a 16-15 49ers victory. The Cardinals had the game basically won, but let it slip away.
Then came news that RB James Conner would be lost for the year on a play that bent his right ankle backward in the third quarter with 12:26 remaining.
RELATED: JAMES CONNER INJURY IS SEASON ENDING
So far, what is known is that Conner’s injury is considered “severe,” although the exact type of injury isn’t known yet. It is already certain that he will require surgery.
It was a typical dive play up the gut when he was tackled by DT Jordan Elliott, who came off a block by C Hjalte Froholdt. Conner attempted to break free, but Elliott began to swing Conner around. At the same time, Niners rookie safety Marques Sigle came from his strong safety spot and ran up to assist on the stop. Sigle went low towards Conner’s shins while at the same time Elliott twisted Conner while Sigle was holding his ankle.
Players from both benches took a knee as Conner was attended to by the trainers, and then carted off the field. Conner is a Cardinals Captain this year.
QB Kyler Murray told ESPN after the game:
“Yeah, it’s unfortunate. Just not only is he my teammate, I feel like that’s a brother of mine. Just to see him go down like that, you never want to see that. I understand it’s part of the game, but it is not ideal. All the work that he puts in and just who he is as a person, you don’t want to see him get hurt like that. Yeah, it’s tough. He’s everything, means everything.”
Conner signed a two-year extension last year and had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, gaining 1,094 last season and 1,040 in 2023. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2018 while with the Pittsburgh Steelers and in 2021 in his first year with Arizona. His $3.64 million base salary for this year is guaranteed for injury.
Cardinals 2024 third-round draft pick Trey Benson (6’-0”, 220 pounds) will now become the starting running back. Before the San Fran contest, Conner had 32 carries compared to Benson’s 11. Both players had five receptions and are considered a bellcow type of runner.
So, what does Arizona’s offense do now?
Benson has been heralded by many that he should be more involved in the offense this year. He is described as a powerful runner with explosive speed, showing the ability to break tackles and finish runs effectively. He runs a 4.39 in the 40.
Other options for the Cardinals include Emari Demercado (5’-9”, 215 pounds) and Zonovan “Bam” Knight (5’-11”, 206 pounds). Demercado runs a 4.44 in the 40 and has played in 29 NFL games. This year, he has had one offensive snap and 19 special teams snaps. Knight has 4.53 speed and has played in...
