Kyler Murray knows his leadership of Cardinals must kick up with James Conner out

TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals’ run game isn’t the only thing that took a massive hit with the loss of James Conner to a season-ending foot injury.

Sure, he’s posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and adds a bruising rushing style to an Arizona backfield that had been dominant in recent seasons outside of the first three games of 2025.

His impact without the ball in his hands, though, has been just as great. The number of players who made sure to stop by his locker on Tuesday to wish him a speedy recovery was just a small example of what he means to his teammates.

“You can’t really replace (everything he does on and off the field) for real.”

Kyler Murray on the magnitude of losing the Cardinals’ heart and soul of the offense and RB James Conner for the year. pic.twitter.com/sU6uNqBdYN

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 23, 2025

“Tough to replace my dawg,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Tuesday. “Everything he does on the field and the little nuances of the game, his feel for the game that may go unnoticed. It’s the stuff that you can’t coach that he does that people don’t really realize.

“His feel for the game, his leadership and just his presence in the huddle, in the locker room, you can’t really replace that for real.”

Now with Conner sidelined for the remainder of the season, it’s on Murray to pick up the slack left behind in the leadership department.

And he’s well aware of that.

“For sure. Just being vocal whenever that’s called for and letting guys feel me,” Murray added. “Like I said, it’s tough to replace him, but it’s necessary, it’s mandatory.”

Aside from making up for the leadership slack left behind by Conner, Arizona could use a little more out of Murray in the run game, too.

While running back Trey Benson is poised to see his workload increase in the absence of Conner, it’s going to take a group effort out of the room with Emari Demercado, Bam Knight and Michael Carter (practice squad) likely options for added responsibilities moving forward.

Demercado likely slides back in as the third-down back — something he handled well previously. Knight and Carter, if the latter is elevated, could help spell Benson at times.

The Cardinals can’t really replace what Conner brings to the table, though he was struggling getting going and averaged 3.0 yards on 32 carries before his injury. Arizona’s offense has struggled in the run game for reasons beyond his play, and Sunday it added a bad case of the drops in the passing attack.

That’s not to say Murray hasn’t impacted things on the ground. He’s sixth in the league among quarterbacks in rushing yards with 107 and is averaging 5.3 per carry through three games.

Getting that much more creative — and making the routine plays just that — wouldn’t hurt, though.

“We got to be more consistent. We got to make the plays when they’re there,” Murray said. “It’s really as simple as that. It’s really not a complicated game. You got to make plays.

“I’m trying to build confidence each and every day and continue to give my guys opportunities when they’re there,” the QB added. “I’m going to continue to do that. Obviously, (offensive coordinator Drew Petzing) makes the calls and we got to go out there and execute, but whenever the opportunity presents itself or the chances are there, I’m definitely going to give my guys opportunities.”

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