Arizona Cardinals’ Zaven Collins addresses state of team
At 2-5, the Arizona Cardinals are trying to turn things around and get a much-needed win coming off their Week 8 bye in the 2025 season.
- Bam Knight will once again serve as the starting running back, although it sounds as if the Cardinals could use a hot-hand approach.
- Trey Benson is eligible to return from his knee injury next week.
- Gannon’s announcement put an end to a strange week of uncertainty at the position.
The big news for the Arizona Cardinals Nov. 1 surrounded their quarterback situation, with Kyler Murray not yet being ready to start as he recovers from his foot injury.
Jonathan Gannon, though, also provided some useful insight on the Cardinals’ running back room.
Despite Michael Carter taking the first reps during the open portion of the Cardinals’ first two practices of the week, Bam Knight will once again serve as the starting running back, although it sounds as if the Cardinals could use a hot-hand approach. They are also getting Emari Demercado back after he missed Week 7 with an ankle injury.
“(Knight) will be the first one that goes out, but all three of them to me have their own role,” Gannon said. “We’ll see who’s running it well, and that guy will probably, honestly, get a little more touches. So I like our plan going into the game, but you’ve gotta be able to adapt in-game by what your eyes see too.”
Gannon also provided an update on Trey Benson, who is eligible to return from his knee injury next week.
“He’s back into the mold of not just our return-to-play phase,” Gannon said. “There’s early return-to-play, you’re just in the training room the whole time with the performance staff and with the athletic training staff. And then as they get closer, you start to assimilate them into meetings again, so they get their mind back on football a little bit too. But he’s at that point right now.”
But on Monday Night Football against Dallas, with Benson still sidelined, it’ll be Knight as the starting running back. Gannon’s announcement put an end to a strange week of uncertainty at the position.
To start the week, the Cardinals released Carter, then re-signed him to the practice squad — a common machination to open a roster spot for players returning from injured reserve. That indicated Knight would start, but then Carter took the first snaps in the Cardinals’ first two practices.
Plus, Carter had been the starter when Demercado was healthy, before the Cardinals slid him into Demercado’s pass-catching role with Knight taking over as the early-down back when Demercado went down. Knight, though, has outperformed Carter this season, with 3.5 yards per carry to Carter’s 2.8.
“All three of those guys, I feel good about playing on first, second, third down,” Gannon said. “I really do. Now, do each of them bring a little bit different skill set to what that role looks like? Yes. But I don’t hesitate to put any of them out there in any down and distance.”
Defense getting healthier
Gannon made it sound as if defensive tackle Walter Nolen and slot cornerback Garrett Williams are likely to be activated from injured reserve ahead of the game. That would explain the moves to release both Carter and defensive back Darren Hall, clearing two roster spots early in the week.
“Garrett and Walt are progressing well,” Gannon said. “Gotta see them practice today, and we’ll make that decision in the next 48 hours.”
Edge rusher BJ Ojulari will, as expected, need more time as he returns from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus that kept him out for 15 months. Gannon, though, was encouraged by Ojulari’s showing in his return to practice this week.
“It was good to see him out there,” Gannon said. “I was actually a little bit surprised by how fast (he looked) and how he cut it loose yesterday. I thought he did a good job.”
Meanwhile, Gannon downplayed the concern surrounding cornerback Will Johnson, who appeared on the Cardinals’ injury report as limited with a groin injury in their second practice of the week.
“He’ll be out there today,” Gannon said. “He had a little bit of tightness. My precaution.”
