Cardinals' Michael Carter: Earns 21 touches in season finale
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Carter racked up 17 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown and hauled in all four targets for 16 yards during Sunday's 47-24 victory versus the 49ers.
With James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) on injured reserve, Carter was tasked with leading the Cardinals backfield Week 18, as he started and dominated touches among his position mates. With 21 touches overall, he outproduced DeeJay Dallas (two touches for 27 total yards) and Tony Jones (four carries for 55 yards and one TD), and Carter salvaged a poor per-touch performance with a four-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Carter ends the 2024 campaign with 35 rushes for 131 yards (3.7 YPC) and one TD to go with 11 catches (on 11 targets) for 57 yards in three appearances, all of which occurred Weeks 16-18 with Conner and Benson either banged-up or sidelined.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Sleeper RBs
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James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) are out for Week 18 against San Francisco, so Carter will start against the 49ers, and he should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues. The 49ers have allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.2 PPR points, and Carter did a nice job in Week 17 at the Rams after Conner left with 13 carries for 70 yards and two catches for 11 yards on two targets for 10.1 PPR points. He also scored 9.8 PPR points in Week 16 at Carolina with five carries for 18 yards and five catches for 30 yards on five targets.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Jumps to active roster
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The Cardinals signed Carter off the practice squad to the active roster Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Arizona placed its top two running backs, James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle), on injured reserve over the last two days, necessitating at least one promotion to the active roster. Carter has received ample playing time the past two games, racking up 25 touches for 129 yards from scrimmage and no touchdowns. He'll likely serve as the team's No. 1 back Sunday against the 49ers, while DeeJay Dallas handles change-of-pace work out of the backfield.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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We'll see what happens with James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) in Week 18, but if both are out, then Carter should be considered a low-end No. 2 running back in all leagues against San Francisco. The 49ers have allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.2 PPR points, and Carter did a nice job in Week 17 at the Rams after Conner left with 13 carries for 70 yards and two catches for 11 yards on two targets. Now, if Benson (41 percent rostered) is able to play against the 49ers, then he would be the preferred Cardinals running back, but Benson has been out for the past two games.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Shifts back to practice squad
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Carter reverted to the Cardinals' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction report.
He was the beneficiary of No. 1 RB James Conner lasting just 12 offensive snaps in Week 17 before seemingly aggravating a knee injury. Carter stepped in for Conner and parlayed 57 (of 79) snaps into 15 touches for 81 yards from scrimmage, including 70 yards on the ground (a 5.4 average). Meanwhile, fellow reserve back DeeJay Dallas (11 snaps) had just one catch and no carries for a second straight contest. With the status of both Conner and rookie third-rounder Trey Benson (ankle) up in the air for a Week 18 matchup with the 49ers, Carter could be Arizona's lead runner in the regular-season finale.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Steps up in Conner's absence
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Carter rushed 13 times for 70 yards and brought in both targets for 11 yards in the Cardinals' 13-9 loss to the Rams on Saturday night.
The journeyman back unexpectedly was handed the reins of the Cardinals' ground attack after James Conner exited the game in the first half with a knee injury. With Trey Benson (ankle) inactive, Carter took over as the lead back and consistently put together productive runs while compiling his highest rushing yardage total since Week 9 of the 2022 season. If the Cardinals opt to shut Conner down for the regular-season finale against the 49ers, Carter should have a solid complementary role, at minimum, in that game assuming Benson is also active.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Week 17 Adds (RB Preview)
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The Cardinals running back room is a mess heading into Week 17, and they play on Saturday night, so the timing of all this is a little tricky as well. If James Conner plays, you start him. If Conner is out, our hope is that Trey Benson is back, and Benson would be a borderline number two running back. If both Conner and Benson are out, then Michael Carter is a high-end flex. Of course, when waivers run on Tuesday night, we aren't going to know who is going to be healthy on Saturday, so I am attempting to add both Benson and Carter.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Moves back to practice squad
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Carter reverted to the Cardinals' practice squad Monday.
Carter made his season debut in Sunday's 36-30 overtime loss to Carolina and ended the contest as Arizona's lead runner after James Conner suffered a knee injury. Overall, Carter played 25 of 70 offensive snaps in the game, recording five carries for 18 yards and a team-high five catches (on five targets) for 30 yards. DeeJay Dallas also got in the act with a one-yard touchdown reception on 16 plays. The Cardinals haven't been a definitive update on Conner's health, but with Emari Demercado (back) on injured reserve and Trey Benson (ankle) having sat out the Week 16 game, Carter could be a regular out of the Cardinals backfield this coming Sunday versus the Rams.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Up from practice squad
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The Cardinals elevated Carter from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday.
With Emari Demercado (back) on injured reserve, Trey Benson (ankle) ruled out for Week 16 action and DeeJay Dallas (illness) listed as questionable, there's a chance Carter will serve as the direct backup to James Conner on Sunday at Carolina. Dallas likely will need to be inactive for Carter to get much, if any, run, but he's poised for his first game action of the campaign. In 45 career contests between the Jets and Cardinals, Carter has averaged 4.2 yards on his 291 carries, hauled in 101 of 140 targets for 714 yards and scored eight total touchdowns.
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Michael Carter: Lands opportunity
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Carter signed with the Cardinals' practice squad Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Carter joined Arizona last November after he was waived by the Jets and appeared in the team's last six regular-season games. A fourth-round selection in 2021, the North Carolina product will likely need an injury in the Cardinals' running back corps to see the active roster.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Ends 2023 as Conner's main backup
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Carter compiled 30 carries for 187 yards and 24 catches (on 31 targets) for 101 yards and one touchdown in 15 games between the Jets and Cardinals during the 2023 season.
After racking up 338 touches in 30 contests for the Jets to begin his career, the 2021 sixth-round pick took a back seat to Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook in New York to kick off this past campaign. Carter subsequently was cut loose by the Jets after Week 10 and promptly was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals. From that point on, he was the Arizona running back called on most behind starter James Conner, averaging a healthy 6.8 yards on 22 rushes. Carter has one year remaining on his rookie contract, so he and Emari Demercado likely will serve as the team's top reserve RBs in 2024.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Scores first TD of season
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Carter compiled 61 rushing yards on seven carries and caught a six-yard touchdown on his only target during Sunday's 35-31 win in Philadelphia.
Carter accounted for three of the Cardinals' six longest plays of Week 17, all of them runs (21, 18 and 16 yards). He has been alternating with Emari Demercado as Arizona's primary backup to James Conner, who again dominated the backfield with 27 touches for 133 total yards and two TDs on Sunday. Given the lack of consistent work, Carter will be tough to trust in the team's season finale Sunday versus the Seahawks.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Accounts for six touches Sunday
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Carter tallied three carries for 27 yards and three catches (on three targets) for 10 yards during Sunday's 45-29 defeat to the 49ers.
On a day in which the Cardinals racked up 234 rushing yards, Carter made the most of his sparse touches, including a long rush of 19 yards. Both he and fellow reserve running back Emari Demercado earned 18 offensive plays, but the latter was far more productive to the tune of five touches for 70 yards from scrimmage and one TD. James Conner again led Arizona's backfield with 36 plays and 17 touches for 89 total yards and a rushing score, so Carter remains second or third fiddle, at best, at the position on the Cards.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Notches four touches in team debut
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Carter recorded four carries for 19 yards and reeled in all four targets for 15 yards during Sunday's 37-14 loss to the Rams.
In his Cardinals debut, Carter took on a surprising snap share (38 percent) behind starting running back James Conner (42 percent) while ranking ahead of the returning Emari Demercado (20 percent). Carter actually outproduced Conner in total yards, 34-32, on two fewer touches, and Demercado was a distant third in the category with three touches (all carries) for 15 yards. Arizona may have been easing Demercado back in after he missed the previous three contests due to a toe injury, but the breakdown of reps between the three bears watching to see if Carter may be the preferred No. 2 RB option ahead of Demercado, starting Sunday in Pittsburgh.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Has chance to play Saturday
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Carter may be a part of the Cardinals backfield Sunday at Houston with Emari Demercado (toe) ruled out for the contest, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
James Conner owns Arizona's backfield when healthy, and he proved as much this past Sunday against the Falcons after a stint on IR, handling 63 percent of snaps and turning 16 carries into 73 yards. That left only three rushes combined for Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones, and with the team claiming Carter off waivers Wednesday, his presence may result in Jones not being elevated from the practice squad this week. On the season, Carter averaged 4.8 yards on his eight carries and also hauled in 15 of 20 targets for 68 yards in nine games for the Jets.
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Cardinals' Michael Carter: Gets picked up by Arizona
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The Cardinals claimed Carter off waivers Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Despite having James Conner (knee) back in the fold as of this past Sunday against the Falcons, the Cardinals are exploring all options to round out their backfield depth. Carter didn't get much work in nine appearances for the Jets this season, but he averaged 4.8 yards on his eight carries and also reeled in 15 of his 20 targets. Behind Conner, Carter will join Emari Demercado (toe) and Keaontay Ingram as reserve backs on Arizona's active roster.
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Michael Carter: Cut loose by Jets
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The Jets waived Carter on Tuesday, Ethan Greenberg of the team's official site reports.
Carter accounted for 964 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns over 14 games as a rookie in 2021, but his role has declined in the subsequent two seasons after the Jets drafted a franchise back in Breece Hall and then brought in a high-profile free agent in Dalvin Cook this offseason. While serving as the Jets' No. 3 option, Carter has eight carries for 38 yards to go with 15 catches for 48 yards over nine games in 2023. His lack of efficiency as the team's third-down back appears to be the impetus for the Jets to move on from him and open up opportunities for rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda, who had yet to make his NFL debut.
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Jets' Michael Carter: Blanked in Week 10
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Carter didn't record a rushing attempt and failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 16-12 loss to the Raiders.
Carter took advantage of some extra usage in a blowout Week 9 loss en route to a season-high six catches, but this game was competitive throughout, so Carter ceded the majority of snaps to Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. Hall was on the field for 46 of New York's 66 offensive snaps, while Cook played 10 and Carter played nine.
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Jets' Michael Carter: Five catches on final drive
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Carter didn't record a carry but caught all six of his targets for 24 yards in Monday's 27-6 loss to the Chargers.
Five of Carter's six catches came on the Jets' last drive with the result no longer in doubt, as Zach Wilson consistently checked the ball down to the running back underneath with Los Angeles' defense sagging back. Breece Hall continues to handle the lion's share of touches in New York's backfield, with Carter and Dalvin Cook splitting the remaining scraps.
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Jets' Michael Carter: One carry in Week 6 win
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Carter rushed once for five yards and didn't catch his only target in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Eagles.
Carter once again finished third among New York's running backs in touches behind Breece Hall (17) and Dalvin Cook (four). Expect Carter to remain in a depth role after the Jets' Week 7 bye.
