James

Conner

Graziano could only be referring to James Conner and Trey Benson. He noted that Conner took a pay cut this offseason, which could signal that he’s still in the Cardinals’ plans, making a Benson deal potentially more likely. That seems unlikely, though, considering Arizona brought in Tyler Allgeier and Jeremiyah Love this offseason. Conner is still working off to the side with trainers at practice as he recovers from ankle surgery, but if he can return to the practice field soon then a trade could be in his future. Graziano mentioned the Bengals and Giants as teams that could be looking for running back help.

Conner suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 last year. Earlier this offseason, he agreed to a revised contract that pays him $2.35 million this year. The Cardinals signed RB Tyler Allgeier to a two-year, $12.25 million deal one day later, before spending the No. 3 overall pick on former Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love. If Conner can resume practicing soon, it might increase the odds of a running back-needy team acquiring him via trade.

Love will enter a crowded backfield alongside trusted veteran James Conner and free agent signing Tyler Allgeier. Love’s draft capital and his standout ability will give him a good shot at taking on lead back duties to start the 2026 season, though Allgeier and Conner will be involved. Love will be running behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. A two-year starter for the Fighting Irish, 21-year-old (in May) Love (6’0/212) was without peer in this year’s running back draft class. Totaling 40 touchdowns in 28 games over the past two seasons, Love’s explosiveness is unmatched. His 52.9 percent breakaway rate in 2025 ranked No. 1 in the power four conferences, while his average 4.50 yards after contact trailed only one player nationally. Those fancy stats underscore a rare blend of vision, burst and contact balance. Although Love is indeed a home run hitter, he’s also a complete offensive weapon. His final year in South Bend saw him add to his ground statistics with 27 receptions for 280 yards and three scores, posting a superb 1.83 yards per route run. It was production that stressed linebackers in space. Love’s overall elusiveness spike from 2024 to 2025 reflects a runner who not only dodges the first hit but finishes with authority, combining lateral twitch with downhill violence.

That assumes the Cardinals remain in the three spot on Thursday night. The team has reportedly tried for weeks to deal the pick and had no luck finding viable suitors, thanks in part to the weakness of the 2026 draft class. Love, who had 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final season at Notre Dame, has been linked to several teams, including Arizona, Tennessee, Washington, and the Giants, all of whom have premium first round picks. Love would enter a backfield alongside veteran James Conner and big-bodied RB Tyler Allgeier, who signed with the Cards this offseason after four years with the Falcons. Though Love would function as the team’s lead back, Allgeier and Conner would certainly be involved in the team’s rushing attack in 2026.

The unnamed individual is said to be someone “who has a say” in what the Cardinals do with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. McShay notes the Cardinals are also candidates to trade back a couple of spots to potentially draft Love, though “they still need an offensive tackle [and] they still need an EDGE.” Rotational players like former starter RB James Conner, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury last year, and free agent signee, RB Tyler Allgeier, crowd the Cardinals’ backfield. The combo could keep Love from handling an elite rookie season workload, but they are unlikely to prevent him from winning the starting role this summer. He would likely warrant RB2 treatment right away if the Cardinals were to draft him early in the first round.

That’s the kind of contract that makes us think Tyler Allgeier is the leader of a committee in Arizona this year if everyone is healthy. The good news for Conner is that $2.1 million is guaranteed, so the Cardinals barely save anything letting him walk. His roster spot should be relatively safe.

It’s well short of what Allgeier was reportedly expecting — something in the range of $22 million over three seasons. He lands in a crowded Arizona backfield alongside Trey Benson and James Conner, who recently took a pay cut to remain with the Cardinals in 2026. Allgeier rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2022 before being replaced as the Falcons’ lead back by Bijan Robinson in 2023. His peripherals fell off a cliff in 2025, as he averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry and average 0.11 broken tackles per rush, which ranked 49th out of 66 qualifying running backs. Allgeier will likely split backfield duties in Arizona and will remain as touchdown dependent as any back in fantasy football.

The good news about the restructure is that it will keep Conner in Arizona next year, giving him a real shot to head the backfield again depending on how his foot/ankle injury rehab is coming along. Because of how it was reported, it’s almost certainly actually a pay cut for Conner, who would likely have faced a tough market. Conner and fellow injury rehabber Trey Benson figure to again split carries in Arizona in 2026 if both are healthy.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Conner will be 31 at the start of next season and missed most of 2025 with a season-ending foot/ankle injury he suffered in Week 3. Releasing Conner would save the Cardinals $8 million against the cap in 2026, and would carry a dead cap hit of just $2.250 million if he’s released as a pre-June 1 cut. Conner rushed 32 times for 95 yards and a touchdown last season while also catching eight passes for 38 yards and another score. With his best days likely behind him, Conner would be an uninspiring fantasy lead back wherever he plays next season. It is possible he finds a situation good enough to land in the Zero RB ranks.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late last night that Conner “did in fact suffer a season-ending injury,” but Gannon officially confirmed things on Monday. The veteran running back suffered a devastating ankle injury that required him to be carted from the field and will undergo surgery soon. Conner, 30, remains under contract with the Cardinals through the 2026 season and will turn 31 in March.