CARDINALS CORNER

James Conner, Cardinals agree on 2-year contract extension

Nov 30, 2024, 9:27 AM | Updated: Dec 6, 2024, 8:41 am

The Arizona Cardinals and veteran running back James Conner have agreed on a two-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the extension is worth $19 million.

Conner has been the heart and soul of the Cardinals offense ever since he came to town in 2021.

In 52 games played (43 starts) with the Cardinals, the running back has amassed 3,279 yards and 34 touchdowns on 759 carries. As a receiver, he’s reeled in 139 balls (164 targets) for 1,128 yards and six touchdowns.

Only five NFL players have scored more touchdowns than Conner (40) since he joined the Cardinals in 2021, per the team.

The 29-year-old appears to be only getting better with age, too.

After recording his first 1,000-yard rushing season last year, Conner is on track for another in 2024. Through 11 games, he’s sitting at 705 yards to go along with five scores. Conner’s also recorded 288 yards on 29 catches (35 targets).

With seven more yards this year, Conner will become the first Cardinal to reach 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first four years with the franchise.

“You want to talk about when you’re outside the white lines and what he does from a conditioning standpoint, from a recovery standpoint — I would call that whole bucket physiotherapeutic standpoint — there’s nobody better,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said of the running back in January.

“If you think that certain guys start to fall off because they get a little older, he’d be the one to delay it, I know that.”

On top of his bruising running style and underrated skill as a pass catcher, Conner has also been a huge influence within the locker room.

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