Trey Benson’s ascension to NFL stardom has a hit a pothole. The Cardinals are placing him on injured reserve, requiring him to miss at least four games.
Benson suffered a knee injury in the Seattle game – his first start as a pro. It’s a shame, with him looking poised to maybe be a top-10 back for the duration of the season.
The Cardinals drafted Benson in the second round a year ago. He put together a quiet but promising rookie season, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in his final 10 games but suffered a late-season ankle injury, making him unable to fill in for James Conner for the one game he might have started.
Benson also averaged 5.5 yards per carry this year, operating behind Conner for three games and starting against Seattle last Thursday. Now, it’s back to square one.
I expect the Cardinals will be going to a committee backfield. They just re-signed Michael Carter, who’s got some experience with them. He carried 30 times for 113 yards and a touchdown while filling in for the final two games last year. He also caught 6 passes for 27 yards in those games. They’ve also got Zonovan “Bam” Knight.
But I am would like to see more of Emari Demercado. He wasn’t even drafted back in 2023, but he’s made the most of his limited opportunities. He scored on touchdown runs of 49 and 11 yards as a rookie, and he scored on a 53-yarder, with another 41-yard non-scoring run last year. That’s 3 runs over 40 yards, despite carrying the ball only 86 times as a pro.
Since 2023, only 17 running backs have at least 3 runs of 40-plus yards, and they’ve all carried the ball a lot more than Demercado.
| 3-PLUS RUNS OF 40-PLUS SINCE 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Player | No |
| Derrick Henry, Ten.-Bal. | 9 |
| Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 8 |
| De'Von Achane, Mia. | 8 |
| Saquon Barkley, NYG-Phi. | 7 |
| James Cook, Buff. | 6 |
| Breece Hall, NYJ | 5 |
| Jerome Ford, Clev. | 4 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs, Det. | 4 |
| J.K. Dobbins, 3 tms | 4 |
| Emari Demercado, Ariz. | 3 |
| Bucky Irving, T.B. | 3 |
| Christian McCaffrey, S.F. | 3 |
| David Montgomery, Chi.-Det. | 3 |
| James Conner, Ariz. | 3 |
| Joe Mixon, Cin.-Hou. | 3 |
| Justice Hill, Balt. | 3 |
| Travis Etienne, Jac. | 3 |
Demercado wasn’t drafted coming out of Texas Christian, where he ran for only 446 and 681 yards in his final two seasons, with 12 and 13 catches. That was a stacked team – it played in the National Championship game – but Demercado was stuck behind Kendre Miller.
He’s obviously got plenty of speed, and he’s listed at a credible 5-foot-9 and 215 pounds. (I thought he would be a little smaller.) In the Seattle game, Demercado was on the field for 39 percent of the team’s plays, with a game-tying touchdown catch late. But his 4 carries have gone for only 8 yards this year.
I think we’ll be looking at a committee backfield. Carter is more experienced but weighs only 201 pounds. I would be more inclined to throw a dart at Demercado. (And I think Knight will be a lightly used third option.)
This whole deal was going down as the product was leaving. We were already a little late, so I scribbled down some numbers and let it go. When the revised projections come out on Friday, there will be some tightening between Demercado and Carter.
Obviously, less-than-ideal options, but Arizona has a choice matchup – at home against the struggling Titans. Tennessee has allowed at least 129 rushing yards in all four games, with 6 touchdowns.
—Ian Allan