The 2022 season for the Arizona Cardinals has been an unmitigated disaster, as head coach Kliff Kingsbury's team is 4-11 and in last place in the NFC West. One of the few bright spots has been the play of running back James Conner, but he has been battling an undisclosed illness.
Cardinals running back James Conner and defensive end Zach Allen did not practice Thursday for the second straight day.https://t.co/xxc9TasoUo
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) December 29, 2022
Conner did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, and his status for the Cardinals' Week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons has not been determined. If Conner cannot play in the road game against the struggling Falcons, they will lose one of their best short-yardage weapons.
Conner is the team's leading rusher with 167 carries for 703 yards and 7 touchdowns. Conner is not a breakaway threat as his long carry is just 23 yards, but he has traditionally been one of the best short yardage and goal line runners in the NFL. Conner's stock in trade is his power and strength that he brings to the battle at 6-1 and 233 pounds.
The big running back has averaged better than 116 scrimmage yards in his past 4 games. He has also scored 6 touchdowns in his last 6 games. He has been a solid receiving weapon out of the backfield, catching 43 passes for 269 yards and 1 touchdown.
Conner's recent performance brings back recollections of his brilliant 2021 season with the Cardinals. He carried the ball 202 times for 752 yards and pounded the ball into the end zone 15 times. He also caught 37 of 39 targets for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns.
If James Conner is unable to play against the Falcons, rookie Keaontay Ingram is likely to get the call to fill in for him. Ingram has 24 carries for 55 yards and 1 touchdown this season.
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