Cardinals’ James Conner not an option this week amid running back injuries

TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner will not return to action this week, but head coach Mike LaFleur did not entirely shut the door on him playing at some point this season.

Conner went down in Week 3 of 2025 with a lower leg injury. He revised his deal to come back to Arizona for another campaign but has been shelved on injured reserve all year.

“He’s fighting his butt off behind the scenes to put himself in a position to go perform, not just return, but to actually perform,” LaFleur said on Wednesday. “That will not be this week, so we’ll move ahead accordingly.”

“Because of the pro that he is, I’m taking it week-to-week with him,” LaFleur added when asked about Conner’s outlook for the rest of the season.

General manager Monti Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Oct. 23 that Conner was “progressing well in his rehab” and getting closer to a return.

The Cardinals could use the running back depth, as they placed rookie third-round pick Jeremiyah Love on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Bam Knight did not practice on Wednesday after entering the concussion protocol following a hit he took on Sunday in Dallas, and Arizona will know more about his status later this week.

Tyler Allgeier and Evan Hull are the two remaining running backs on the active roster.

Conner surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in 2023 and 2024 before he went down against the San Francisco 49ers last year.

Related

Cardinals-Seahawks injury report: Michael Wilson limited, Sam Darnold ruled outRVs, jorts and game-winning drives — Gardner Minshew is rewriting the Cardinals playbookCardinals open practice window for starting lineman Isaiah AdamsCardinals reportedly finalizing trade of Jacoby Brissett to RavensSeahawks’ Sam Darnold out Sunday vs. Cardinals due to quad injuryArizona Cardinals’ Tyler Allgeier named NFC Offensive Player of the Week