JamesConner

News: 3 days agoConner (foot) is close to practicing, but the Cardinals aren't expected to open his 21-day evaluation window this week, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports.

Spin: Conner's 2025 season was cut short due to a right foot injury that required surgery, and he was cleared to take part in practices at the start of training camp. However, he didn't end up mixing into team drills at any point in August before being placed on injured reserve. Though the veteran RB has seemingly made progress in his recovery, the Cardinals are unlikely to rush him back into action with Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight already on the 53-man roster. Gambardoro suggests that Conner may be viewed as more of an insurance policy, and it's not out of the question he gets moved ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Conner is entering his 10th NFL season without a clear path to touches. For starters, we haven't seen him in a while after he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3 last season. Even prior to the injury, Conner was splitting work with Trey Benson, totaling 28 touches in two full games. Conner restructured his contract during the offseason, but his days as Arizona's lead back are over after Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier were added to the roster during the offseason. Conner, who delivered four straight top-15 fantasy (points per game) campaigns prior to 2025, will need to find a new home in order to have any shot at 2026 fantasy relevance. He'll begin the season on IR.