Conner signed a two-year, $19 million extension with the Cardinals on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Conner was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent and a marquee name ahead of another deep class of available running backs, but the Cardinals proactively locked down one of their main offensive pieces through the 2026 season instead. With Arizona in the midst of a playoff push in a tough NFC West, the 29-year-old is on pace to surpass his career high in rushing yards (1,040) and receiving yards (497) thanks in large part to his health, as Conner is poised to miss four or fewer games for just the second time in his eight-year career.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Does little on ground Sunday
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Conner rushed seven times for eight yards and hauled in all five targets for 41 yards during Sunday's 16-6 loss in Seattle.
Conner was one of four Cardinals to earn a carry, pacing the team, but his yardage total was last among the quartet behind Trey Benson (4-18-0 rushing line), Emari Demercado (1-14-0) and Kyler Murray (2-9-0). In fact, Conner's eight yards on the ground were less than half his previous low on the season (17 in Week 3). Fortunately for the eighth-year pro, he salvaged his day somewhat as a pass catcher, with his 41 receiving yards ranking third most in his 11 appearances to date. Conner may have difficulty getting back on track next Sunday against the Vikings' No. 1 run defense (74.7 yards per game allowed).
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Cardinals' James Conner: Goes for 100-plus yards and TD
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Conner rushed 12 times for 33 yards and a touchdown while corralling all five of his targets for 80 yards in Sunday's 31-6 win over the Jets.
Conner struggled as a rusher outside of a short touchdown Sunday, but he offset that with his biggest game of the season as a receiver. The bruising back was dealing with a finger injury during the practice week, which could have had something to do with rookie Trey Benson (10-62-0) cutting into the starter's workload in the first half against the Jets. The 29-year-old Conner will get an extra week to recover as Arizona enters its bye before resuming action against the Seahawks on Nov. 24.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Avoids injury designation
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Conner (finger) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Jets, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Conner was a full practice participant Friday after limited showings the previous two days. He should be fine to handle his usual role, which entails the upside for 20-plus touches in close games. Conner has at least 10 touches in every game this season, including 21-plus in four of the past five weeks.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Limited again Thursday
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Conner (finger) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.
Conner is averaging 18.4 touches for 92.3 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring four rushing TDs in nine appearances this season. He has yielded some reps at times to reserve RBs Emari Demercado and Trey Benson, but their usage has been up and down while Conner has maintained his workload throughout the campaign. Having said that, Conner had a cap on his practice reps Wednesday and Thursday due to a finger injury, meaning his status will continue to be monitored as the week goes on.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Dealing with finger issue
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Conner was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to a finger injury, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Conner had a concussion check this past Sunday versus the Bears but was cleared to return. He finished with his fifth 100-yard performance from scrimmage of the season, but he's now tending to a different health concern in Week 10. As a result, Conner's status will continue to be monitored as Arizona prepares to host the Jets on Sunday.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Another 100 yards from scrimmage
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Conner notched 18 carries for 107 yards and reeled in all three targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 29-9 win against the Bears.
Conner ceded more touches to backfield mates Emari Demercado (six) and Trey Benson (nine) than normal, partly due to him getting a concussion check late in the second quarter after he was flipped out of bounds at the end of a rush, per Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com. Subsequently, Conner missed one possession but was back in action after halftime. Through nine contests this season, he's reached 100 yards from scrimmage five times and now is averaging 92.3 total yards per game. Conner next takes aim at the Jets next Sunday.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Punches in fifth touchdown
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Conner rushed 20 times for 53 yards and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 28-27 win over the Dolphins.
Conner didn't have a strong game in terms of efficiency, but the tailback punched in his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. The 6-foot-1 rusher commanded 22 of Arizona's 23 touches doled out to running backs Sunday. With such a strong hold on the Cardinals' lead-back role, Conner makes for a strong play against the Bears (112.0 yards/game allowed to opposing RBs) next Sunday.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Leading yardage getter Monday
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Conner rushed 19 times for 101 yards and brought in two of four targets for 51 receiving yards in Monday's 17-15 win over the Chargers.
Conner's downhill running style set the tempo for the Cardinals in a game that featured just 32 points. The bruising back didn't have a carry longer than 14 yards against the Chargers, but he simply took chunks out of the defense consistently throughout the contest. This was Conner's third game reaching the century mark in rushing yards this season, and it also marked a new high in yards from scrimmage for the veteran running back. With Week 6's dud against Green Bay in the rear-view mirror, Conner lines up to be a strong play against Miami on Sunday.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Keep an eye on Conner this week because he could be dealing with an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 6 against Green Bay. He played a season-low 16 snaps against the Packers, and hopefully he'll be OK. You're probably still going to start Conner if he plays against the Chargers, but he should be considered a low-end No. 2 running back in most leagues. Along with any potential ailment, this is a tough matchup. The Chargers have allowed one rushing touchdown and two total touchdowns to running backs this season, and Conner could see plenty of attention from the Los Angeles defense if Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) is out. I'm hopeful Conner is OK, but this could be a tough week for him in a bad matchup.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Disappointing numbers in loss
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Conner rushed seven times for 24 yards and brought in four of five targets for 22 yards in the Cardinals' 34-13 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Conner's numbers were certainly a disappointment given some of his other performances this season, although a game script that saw Arizona already down 24-10 at the half didn't help his cause. Conner's backfield mates Trey Benson and Emari Demercado also combined for nine carries, and the latter added five receptions on seven targets, so the veteran back had to cede more touches than usual. Conner will aim to bounce back in a Week 7 home Monday night battle against the Chargers on Oct. 21.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Bounces back with 104 yards, TD
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Conner rushed 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for nine yards in Sunday's 42-14 loss to the Commanders.
The Cardinals kept this game close long enough for Conner to get a robust workload on the ground, allowing the veteran running back to post his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season. Conner scored a six-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, marking his third rushing score through four games. He should continue to play a featured role in Arizona's offense against the 49ers in Week 5.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Shut down by Lions in loss
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Conner rushed nine times for 17 yards and secured his only target for eight yards in the Cardinals' 20-13 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Conner posted his lowest rushing output of the season by far, as the Lions' vaunted run defense once again was up to par. Additionally, Conner couldn't make up for any shortcomings on the ground with his work through the air, as Kyler Murray primarily focused on his receivers and tight end Trey McBride (concussion) while trailing for a large swath of the contest. Conner should have a good opportunity to bounce back in Week 4, however, as a Commanders defense that's proven inconsistent thus far comes to town next Sunday.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Rambles for 122 yards plus TD
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Conner took 21 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown while collecting his lone target for two yards in Sunday's 41-10 win over the Rams.
Everything was clicking on offense for the Cardinals against the Rams' undermatched defense in Sunday's blowout victory. Conner was a big part of that success by registering his first 100-yard game and second rushing touchdown in 2024. The bruising back will face a stiffer defensive test when the Cardinals host the Lions in Week 3, but there is virtually no scenario in which Conner's managers should consider other options in Week 3 starting lineups.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Runs in TD and two-point conversion
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Conner rushed 16 times for 50 yards and a touchdown while catching three of four targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 34-28 loss to the Bills. He also ran in a two-point conversion.
Arizona's first six offensive plays all went to Conner, and he racked up 41 scrimmage yards on six carries and two catches before Michael Wilson punctuated the possession with a five-yard touchdown catch. Conner scored a touchdown of his own in the second quarter from three yards out, then powered in a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to bring Arizona within three after DeeJay Dallas scored the first kickoff-return touchdown in the history of the NFL's new dynamic kickoff rules. The veteran starter finished with 19 touches compared to four for rookie third-round pick Trey Benson and two for Emari Demercado, so Conner is the clear No. 1 option in Arizona's backfield heading into a Week 2 home game against the Rams.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Top RB on depth chart
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Conner is listed as the Cardinals' No. 1 running back on the team's second unofficial depth chart of training camp, Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic reports.
This comes as no surprise considering Conner has started all 26 regular-season games in which he's been available for Arizona the last two seasons. He's also coming off a career-high 1,040 rushing yards while tallying 27 catches for 165 yards and nine total touchdowns in 13 appearances during the 2023 campaign. The team bolstered its backfield in the offseason with the selection of Trey Benson in the third round of the draft, and holdovers Emari Demercado and Michael Carter had brief moments of output last season. As long as Conner stays healthy, though, the 29-year-old should remain the top option at running back for the Cards in 2024.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Leader of improved backfield
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Rookie third-round pick Trey Benson is unlikely to take Conner's starting job but may eventually force a timeshare in the Cardinals' backfield, according to KC Joyner of The Athletic.
Conner has missed multiple games in each of his seven NFL seasons, though never more than six in any one year, so any competition for touches could sort itself out. His 2023 included career highs for rushing yards (1,040) and yards per carry (5.0), with the downside being his fewest targets (33) and catches (27, 2.1 per game) since he was a barely-used rookie with Pittsburgh in 2017. The lack of receiving volume was partially a product of Emari Demercado getting playing time in passing situations, and it's worth noting that the Cardinals have two other backs in Michael Carter, DeeJay Dallas with track records as passing-down specialists. That said, Conner still figures to be the starter and lead runner, with Benson being the main threat to poach carries and TDs even if other guys are in the mix on passing downs.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Hero of upset victory
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Conner took 26 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for five yards and another touchdown in Sunday's 35-31 win over Philadelphia.
Conner was the late-game hero of Sunday's upset win over the Eagles after he punched in a two-yard score with less than a minute left on the clock. It was the bruising tailback's second trip to the end zone in the second half after he caught a short touchdown pass from Kyler Murray in the third quarter. The red-hot Conner will carry a scoring streak of four games into the final game of the 2023 regular season.
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Cardinals' James Conner: RBs to Start
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I'm done doubting Conner, and he's proved me wrong for three games in a row. He scored 22.5 PPR points at Pittsburgh in Week 13, 17.9 PPR points against San Francisco in Week 15 and 22.2 PPR points at Chicago in Week 16, and he's excelled in tough matchups. This should be a tough matchup at Philadelphia since the Eagles are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but they haven't stopped anyone recently. In their past five games, six running backs have scored at least 12.2 PPR points against Philadelphia, and Conner should love going back to Pennsylvania since he's from Erie. He's a solid No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Goes past 100 yards from scrimmage
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Conner compiled 12 carries for 45 yards and five catches (on five targets) for 67 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 27-16 loss in Chicago.
Sunday's outing marked Conner's first of the campaign with less than 4.0 yards per carry, but he made up for it with his performance as a receiver. Typically, he earns a few targets per game, but his five looks in Week 16 included a 16-yard catch-and-run for a TD and a personal game-high of 20 yards. Conner thus recorded 100-plus yards from scrimmage for the fourth time in 11 appearances this season. He'll aim to keep it up Sunday, Dec. 31 at Philadelphia.
