Cardinals' Trey Benson: Will not return this season

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday that Benson (knee) will not be activated from IR, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2025 season, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Benson had his 21-day practice window opened late November, and he initially managed limited on-field activity before being downgraded to consistent non-participant status. Instead, Bam Knight, Emari Demercado (ankle) and Michael Carter will handle Arizona's backfield reps for the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Carter, a 2024 third-round pick, had initially seemed primed for a substantial opportunity after starting running back James Conner (foot) went down to season-ending injury Week 3. Ultimately, however, durability concerns on Benson's part now make his expected role murky for the 2026 season, which will be the last year of Conner's contract with the Cardinals.