Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson suffered a knee injury in Week 4 that landed him on the injured reserve, but he was supposed to return at some point in the season. Selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Florida State product began his career behind veteran James Conner. After Conner suffered a season-ending injury of his own in Week 3, Benson had the opportunity to prove himself as a legitimate NFL-caliber starter.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Benson hurt himself in the first game as the team’s starter and landed on the injured reserve. While he began practicing late in November, he seemingly had a setback and missed every day of practice last week. Now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Cardinals must activate Benson this week “or his season is over.”
Trey Benson Injury Update: Cardinals RB Might Not Return In 2025
While the Cardinals still have time to activate him, reports like this usually don’t come out unless the player is in serious risk of missing the season. If Trey Benson does not return, the running back will finish his second season with just 29 attempts for 160 yards and no touchdowns to go along with 13 receptions for 64 yards. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are in the midst of a tailspin and will almost certainly fire head coach Jonathan Gannon at the end of the season.
It’s hard to say what the future holds for Trey Benson. On the one hand, he’s a former Day 2 pick who flashed promise during his limited time on the field. On the other hand, he has less than 100 carries to his name through two seasons, and a new coaching staff may not be enamored with his low workload and inability to stay on the field. Chances are, Benson will have to fight for a starting job next year, and it’s no guarantee he’ll win that battle.
