James Conner has been a driving force for the Arizona Cardinals offense this season, but the veteran running back appeared to suffer an injury on Sunday. What happened to Conner during the Cardinals’ Week 5 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, and what is his current injury status?
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James Conner Injury Update
Conner jogged to the Cardinals’ locker room midway through the second quarter. It wasn’t readily apparent when Conner may have suffered an injury, but a trainer accompanied him to the locker room.
Conner was not present on the field or the sideline when Arizona began its next offensive drive with 7:25 remaining in the second quarter.
The Cardinals subsequently announced that Conner is being evaluated for a knee injury and is questionable to return.
RB James Conner has a knee injury and is questionable to return. pic.twitter.com/Dc9BMVj1ca
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 8, 2023
Conner’s final play was a 35-yard carry that brought Arizona to the Bengals’ 14-yard line. The Cardinals scored a touchdown three players later.
Conner returned to Arizona’s sideline with roughly six minutes left in the second quarter. However, he did not play a snap for the rest of the game.
After the game, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon suggested Conner may have caught his foot in the ground and twisted his knee, per ESPN.
On Monday, Gannon said Conner could miss “a little bit of time” with his knee injury. That statement came on the same day Arizona claimed RB Tony Jones Jr. off waivers from the New Orleans Saints.
On Tuesday, NFL Network reported Conner could be sidelined for “multiple weeks” due to his knee injury.
The Cardinals formally placed Conner on injured reserve on Tuesday. He will miss at least the next four games.
The #Cardinals are placing RB James Conner (knee) on injured reserve, per source. He’s out at least four games. pic.twitter.com/bsYY73JUkq
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 10, 2023
Conner has been — by far — Arizona’s leading rusher in 2023. He’d handled 62 rushing attempts heading into Week 5. No other Cardinals running back had managed more than 12 attempts, while quarterback Joshua Dobbs ranked second on the club with 24 attempts.
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Keaontay Ingram, Conner’s backup entering the season, missed his second consecutive game with a neck injury on Sunday. Undrafted rookie free agent Emari Demercado figures to handle the bulk of the RB touches while Conner is sidelined, while practice squad elevation Corey Clement could also mix in.
Fantasy Fallout From Conner’s Injury
Prior to his injury, Conner rushed for 46 yards on six carries against the Bengals. Conner has been the bell-cow back for the Cardinals, so if he is unavailable for any extended amount of time, Demercado can make a case for a bigger share of the touches with an expanded role.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Derek Tate