The Arizona Cardinals have had a mixed afternoon in Week 16, struggling to beat the Carolina Panthers but getting some good individual performances. However, one of the players who performed impressively was James Conner, who appeared to have hurt his knee and was taken to the medical tent.
Let’s examine the latest injury update for Conner and the fantasy football implications of his injury.
What Happened to James Conner?
Conner hurt his right knee on a two-yard carry in the third quarter. He did not receive significant medical attention on the field and was then attended to by trainers on the sideline. At the end of the drive, Conner was taken into the medical tent to be evaluated further.
Conner was twisted to the ground by a Panthers’ defender and never looked comfortable after that. When the next drive started, Michael Carter took the field with Arizona’s offense while Conner continued trying to loosen his knee on the sideline. The Cardinals then announced him as questionable to return with the knee injury.
As it turns out, Conner’s departure ended his day after all. He never re-entered the game and ended up playing just 28 snaps.
Conner ended up with 117 yards on 15 rushes and 49 receiving yards from four receptions. He was the leading rusher and receiver for the offense, having provided more than 50% of the net yards. Additionally, he had scored one of the Cardinals’ two touchdowns.
'tis the season for a @JamesConner_ TD ‼️#ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/sYUeC1ZiEM
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 22, 2024
During this game, Conner crossed 1,000 rushing yards for the season for the second consecutive season. He’s also added over 400 yards receiving on the year.
During Week 16, Conner beat his previous high in yards from scrimmage of 1,470 but remains just short of reaching 1,500 yards from scrimmage this season.
What Is the Fantasy Impact of Conner’s Injury?
Conner has been a bell cow all season, which makes it difficult to know how Arizona’s backfield would shake out if he can’t play next week. However, with the Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, it seems possible they could take it easy on the veteran back and end his season.
Trey Benson is the presumptive RB2, but he’s dealing with an ankle sprain and did not practice at all last week, which led to him being inactive this week.
Emari Demercado is also hurt, putting veteran journeymen DeeJay Dallas or Michael Carter as the potential next options. If Conner isn’t able to play, this is going to be a backfield to avoid.