CARDINALS CORNER

Cardinals’ Keaontay Ingram more than ready to contribute vs. Seahawks

Oct 13, 2022, 5:32 PM | Updated: 5:39 pm

Arizona Cardinals running back Keaontay Ingram (30) celebrates with Danny Isidora (63) after scorin...

Arizona Cardinals running back Keaontay Ingram (30) celebrates with Danny Isidora (63) after scoring a touchdown during the second half of the team's NFL football preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals running back Eno Benjamin is shaping up to be the team’s primary rushing threat in Week 6 with starting running back James Conner considered day-to-day with a ribs issue that has held him out of practice the past two days.

The injuries in the backfield don’t stop there, either, with Darrel Williams reportedly already ruled out due to a knee injury and the Cardinals placing Jonathan Ward on the injured reserve with a pulled hamstring on Wednesday.

The likelihood of not having Conner and Williams is very much a possibility, especially given the team’s quick turnaround of two games in five days. And even if one or both can in fact suit up, there’s a real chance they could be on snap counts or serve as decoys in the offense.

That leaves rookie Keaontay Ingram as the next man up behind Benjamin. After waiting in the wings as a healthy scratch over the first five weeks of his rookie season, the former USC Trojan is more than ready to prove himself.

“The NFL is too hard just sitting on the sidelines. I want to contribute, I want to be a guy,” Ingram said Thursday. “The respect, earn that from my peers and guys that have been in the league for 12-13 years. That’ll mean the most to me and that’s what I’m excited to do to start my journey.

“I feel very comfortable. I’m confident in myself,” the RB added. “I feel like the guys that are surrounding me are confident in me, too, so I think it’s about that time to get ready to roll now.”

During one of his first major media scrums on Thursday, you could tell Ingram was confident in his abilities just from the way he carried himself and how he answered questions.

He didn’t seem like a deer in the headlights, but more so as an established back that’s been in this situation before despite not yet playing a regular season game.

That’s not to say it hasn’t been a tough grind for the rookie trying to find his way to the football field.

“It’s challenging, it’s humbling,” Ingram said. “It really shows you how much you really love the game. I thought I loved it for a second, but when I got it taken away from me, that was a humbling experience. I’m itching to get back out there, I’ll tell you that.”

And from the sounds of it, Ingram isn’t the only one eager to see the running back’s NFL debut.

“Excited for him,” starting right tackle Kelvin Beachum said Thursday. “This is his first time out. Any time you get an opportunity to have a great first impression, on the road, in the division, in a hostile environment and you thrive in it, all it does is give you confidence as a young player so really excited for him.”

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Ingram’s ability as a rusher was among the leading factors as to why the team kept five running backs on the roster.

On Sunday, we may very well get our first glimpse of that.

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Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray warms up ahead of practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OL Rodney Hudson warms up ahead of practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Cameron Thomas takes a drink in between drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Jesse Luketa runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Victor Dimukeje runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Dennis Gardeck runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Markus Golden runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Myjai Sanders runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Myjai Sanders runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals OLB Cameron Thomas runs through drills during practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray warms up ahead of practice on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals WR Greg Dortch runs through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray throws a pass to WR Rondale Moore during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride laughs as he warms up for practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals WR Laquon Treadwell runs through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals WR Laquon Treadwell runs through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals WR A.J. Green runs through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals WR Javon Wims and CB Byron Murphy run through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals CB Byron Murphy Jr. runs through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals WR Rondale Moore runs through drills during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray throws a pass to WR Hollywood Brown during practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals RB Keaontay Ingram warms up ahead of practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals RB Ty'Shon Williams warms up ahead of practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports) Arizona Cardinals RB Corey Clement warms up ahead of practice on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)

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