James Conner’s Still the Guy in Arizona… But for How Long?
The Arizona Cardinals are hoping James Conner’s still got some gas left in the tank as they roll into the 2025 season. He’s been the guy in the backfield for a while now, racking up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and even locking in a contract extension to stick around. So yeah, the team still believes in him.
But not everyone’s buying it.
Bleacher Report just labeled Conner a potential “bust” this year — mainly because a lot of pieces around him are on the rise. Second-year RB Trey Benson is making noise in camp, and Emari Demercado is still hanging around as the change-of-pace guy. Oh, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. might be ready to blow up in Year 2, which could mean fewer handoffs and more passes flying downfield.
Let’s not forget: Conner just turned 30 — and if you’re a running back, that age might as well come with flashing warning lights. NFL history hasn’t exactly been kind to RBs once they hit the big 3-0.
That said, Conner did manage to stay healthy all of last season (for the first time ever), played all 16 games, and put up a career-high 1,094 rushing yards. So clearly, he’s still got some juice.
Even if the Cards do start shifting a bit more toward the pass, it won’t be a total overhaul. OC Drew Petzing isn’t tossing out his whole playbook, and Conner is still sitting atop the RB depth chart — for now.
But Benson isn’t being shy. “I feel like we can have two RB1s on this team,” he said this offseason. Translation: he’s coming for a bigger piece of the pie.
Bottom line: Conner might not be racking up monster numbers like before, but calling him a bust feels like a stretch. As long as he’s healthy, he’s still going to be a big part of this offense. And don’t forget — NFL execs just voted him a top 10 running back in the league. So the respect is still there.
James Conner’s Health Sparks Preseason Head-Scratching in AZ
