JamesConner

News: 6 hours agoCardinals coach Mike LaFleur said Wednesday that it's "too early to tell" if Conner (foot) will be ready for Week 1 against the Chargers, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Spin: Conner avoided the PUP list at the start of training camp, but that was a month ago and he still hasn't joined team drills at practice. With Jeremiyah Love (high ankle) also uncertain for the season opener and Trey Benson (knee) on injured reserve, Tyler Allgeier may be tasked with a large workload Week 1. Trade rumors involving Conner may also continue, but the more immediate concern is his slow return to football shape and uncertain availability for the early part of the regular season.

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.