JamesConner

News: 4 days agoCardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said Tuesday that Conner (foot) won't return from IR this week, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Spin: Though LaFleur said last week that Conner could "potentially" play this season, that won't happen in Week 9. The veteran running back continues to work his way back from a right foot injury and has not yet been cleared to practice. Arizona is dealing with multiple injuries in its backfield, including Jeremiyah Love (ankle) and Bam Knight (concussion), so Conner could provide a big boost once he's able to work his way back this week. Instead, the team will turn to Tyler Allgeier to lead its backfield, with Evan Hull serving as his primary backup if Knight is unable to suit up Sunday against Seattle.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Conner is entering his 10th NFL season without a clear path to touches. For starters, we haven't seen him in a while after he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3 last season. Even prior to the injury, Conner was splitting work with Trey Benson, totaling 28 touches in two full games. Conner restructured his contract during the offseason, but his days as Arizona's lead back are over after Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier were added to the roster during the offseason. Conner, who delivered four straight top-15 fantasy (points per game) campaigns prior to 2025, will need to find a new home in order to have any shot at 2026 fantasy relevance. He'll begin the season on IR.