James Conner is one of the NFL’s top running backs and one of its top humans.
But the Arizona Cardinals don’t have Conner out on the field right now.
In fact, he won’t be playing for the rest of the season.
It’s a next man up in the desert, with second-year RB Trey Benson getting the first crack at replacing Conner, starting with Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4.
MORE: 3 reasons Trey Benson is ready for his moment
What happened to James Conner?
James Conner sustained a season-ending foot injury in Week 3 of the 2025 regular season against the San Francisco 49ers.
He had his right foot caught underneath defenders as he was tackled, and it bent at a brutal angle.
The injury was initially announced as an ankle problem, but it was later changed to a foot injury in subsequent announcement from the Cardinals.
Conner was carted off the field.
On social media, Conner posted that he plans to “smile in the face of adversity.”
Without Conner, the Cardinals turn to second-year back Benson, along with Emari Demercado, to try to keep the backfield in decent shape.
