With James Conner back in Arizona and Trey Benson entering Year 2, the Cardinals’ backfield duo is poised to form a one-two punch this season.
The Cardinals’ running game came in seventh in the league at 144.2 yards per game in 2024, but there’s even more room for improvement.
Conner is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season with the Cardinals and signed a two-year contract extension with the team in November.
In 16 games last season, he rushed for 1,094 yards, ranking 11th in the league. It’s the first time in his career that he rushed for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
But where the Cardinals backfield could get even better is through Benson.
Cardinals RB Trey Benson believes he can form a “1-2 punch” with James Conner this season.
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“This year I’m looking forward to being a one-two punch,” Benson told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday.
“Even though (Conner’s) getting older, but he’s getting better though stat wise, statistics wise, he’s getting better, so hopefully he has a better season (than) last year. “Hopefully, I just feed off him and continue to help him out this year.”
Benson missed the final three games of 2024 due to an ankle injury. He finished the season with 63 carries for 291 yards and a touchdown to go along with six catches for 59 yards.
“I’m happy, but I feel like I left a lot more yards out there,” Benson said. “Left a couple home run plays out there, and I’m just gradually getting better from those plays.”
Conner said he and Benson worked out together nearly every day over the offseason and that’s where Benson was able to make a lot of improvements to his game and his physique.
“He’s still growing … he’s young,” Conner said of the 22-year-old Benson. “If you look at his body now, he was already (a) freak athlete before, but even now just how he’s working in that weight room … his numbers are just off the charts.”
Cardinals Trey Benson ready to make big leap in Year 2
While Conner received 236 carries last season, almost four times as many as Benson, the work Benson put in during the offseason could see him make a big jump entering his second season.
“(His) focus,” Conner said of what changed regarding Benson as the back enters his second season. “Just everything. His approach to it. He worked unbelievable in this off season. He just showed up every single day.
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“He wants it bad because he knows what type of player he can be, and we all know that, and so he’s been working his butt off. It’s been awesome to see. He’s super, super dedicated.”
And Conner and Benson aren’t the only ones who believe the duo could form a one-two punch this offseason. Head coach Jonathan Gannon is also on board and views the two the same way.
“If (Benson) takes a necessary jump from Year 1 to Year 2, I think we got two starting backs,” Gannon told reporters during the 2025 NFL Draft Combine.
“That’s how I kind of view those guys. You see certain teams out there that have two No. 1s, I would say. I think we should have two No. 1s next year.”
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