The hits keep on coming for the Arizona Cardinals. Running back James Conner was already ruled out for the season after an ankle injury he suffered in Week 3. Backup Trey Benson was expected to take over as the team's starting running back. However, just a week after Conner's season-ending injury, Benson landed on the Cardinals' injured reserve list.
“Cardinals RB Trey Benson is being placed on injured reserve due to his knee injury,” Adam Schefter reports.
Benson injured his knee at the end of their Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It's a rough end for a rough day for the Cardinals, who saw their comeback bid fall short at the hands of their division rivals. Prior to injuring his knee, Benson got eight carries for 35 yards and caught all five targets for 19 yards. He failed to reach the endzone.
The Cardinals lost starting running back James Conner in Week 4 after he was carted off the field with a gruesome injury. Head coach Jonathan Gannon was understandably upset after losing the star. “One of your leaders, a captain. You hate that it happened,” Gannon said of Conner. “I feel terrible, but I know he'll take the right attitude and bounce back. Picking up that slack, both the player and the person, we're all going to have to collectively do it, truthfully.
Without Benson, the Cardinals will turn to third-string RB Emeri Demarcado as their starting for the next four weeks, at least. Demarcado saw limited burn last season, playing in 13 games and getting just 24 touches. He made the most of those carries, though, averaging 9.4 yards per carry and scoring a touchdown in the process. Fans hope that this small sample size will carry over as he takes on a bigger role in the offense.
The Cardinals at least get a slight reprieve in Week 5 as they face the lowly Tennessee Titans. At 0-4 this season, the Titans should be a relatively easy matchup for Arizona. This is their week to get their bearings back together after their Week 4 loss.
