| News |
|---|
|
Trishton Jackson Trishton Jackson Inks futures deal with Arizona
Thu, Jan 16, 2025, 4:28 PM
The Cardinals signed Jackson to a reserve/future contract Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Jackson earned a spot on the Vikings' 53-man roster at the end of training camp, though he played just 12 snaps (10 on offense, two on special teams) across two regular-season games. He was waived off the Vikings' 53-man roster Oct. 20, and while he opted to stay in Minnesota on the practice squad, he was not elevated to the active roster for the rest of the 2024 campaign. Under a futures contract, Jackson will be on the Cardinals' 90-man roster when the new league year starts March 12. He'll have the opportunity to work with the coaching staff during OTAs, minicamp and training camp in the hopes of earning a spot on the Cardinals' 53-man roster for the 2025 regular season. |
|
Quez Watkins Quez Watkins Headed to Arizona
Thu, Jan 16, 2025, 4:24 PM
Watkins signed a reserve/future contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Watkins spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Eagles, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite signing a one-year, $1.29 million contract with the Steelers this past March, Watkins wasn't able to earn a spot on Pittsburgh's 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp. He signed with the Steelers' practice squad in late August but was not elevated to the active roster during the regular season or the playoffs. Watkins will be a part of the Cardinals' 90-man roster when the new league year starts March 12, and he'll participate in OTAs, minicamp and training camp in the hopes of earning a spot on Arizona's 53-man roster for the 2025 campaign. |
|
Zonovan Knight Zonovan Knight Signs reserve/future contract
Tue, Jan 7, 2025, 6:10 PM
Knight signed a reserve/future contract with the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Analysis: The running back also spent time with the Jets' practice squad in 2024 before joining the Cardinals, though he did not appear in any regular-season games. Knight played on eight offensive snaps for the Lions in 2023 and carried the ball three times for 13 yards. Now, he'll get a chance to compete for a role with Arizona during the team's offseason program. |
|
Andre Baccellia Andre Baccellia Inks deal with Arizona
Mon, Jan 6, 2025, 3:30 PM
The Cardinals signed Baccellia to a reserve/future contract Monday, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Analysis: The 28-year-old spent his 2024 campaign with the Cardinals' practice squad after failing to make the team's active roster in late August. Baccellia most recently appeared in a regular-season game with the Cardinals in 2023, tallying 22 kick return yards while playing 64 total snaps (46 offensive and 18 on special teams). He's expected to compete for a depth role in Arizona's wide receiver corps throughout the offseason. |
|
Michael Carter Michael Carter Earns 21 touches in season finale
Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 11:13 PM
Carter racked up 17 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown and hauled in all four targets for 16 yards during Sunday's 47-24 victory versus the 49ers.
Analysis: With James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) on injured reserve, Carter was tasked with leading the Cardinals backfield Week 18, as he started and dominated touches among his position mates. With 21 touches overall, he easily outproduced DeeJay Dallas (two touches for 27 total yards) and Tony Jones (four carries for 55 yards and one TD), and Carter salvaged a poor per-touch performance with a four-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Carter ends the 2024 campaign with 35 rushes for 131 yards (3.7 YPC) and one TD to go with 11 catches (on 11 targets) for 57 yards in three appearances, all of which occurred Weeks 16-18 with Conner and Benson either banged-up or sidelined. |
|
Marvin Harrison Marvin Harrison Makes another end-zone visit
Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 9:13 PM
Harrison recorded five catches (on six targets) for 63 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 47-24 victory against the 49ers.
Analysis: Harrison was the first non-quarterback selected (fourth overall) in the 2024 Draft, and he had his moments as a rookie, including four TD catches from Weeks 2-4 and two 100-yard performances. He also fell below 50 receiving yards 10 times in 17 outings en route to a composite 62-885-8 line on 116 targets. Harrison was a distant second to teammate TE Trey McBride (111-1,146-2 on 147 targets) in three major statistical categories for the campaign, but there's a chance the former begins to take on more attention from QB Kyler Murray in his second season. Overall, Harrison's fifth-place finish among first-year players in receiving yards behind the Jaguars' Brian Thomas (1,282), the Giants' Malik Nabers (1,204) the Raiders' Brock Bowers (1,194) and the Chargers' Ladd McConkey (1,149) is a respectable showing considering all but McConkey were first-round picks. |
|
Trey McBride Trey McBride Catches another touchdown
Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 8:57 PM
McBride brought in seven of 11 targets for 65 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 47-24 win versus the 49ers.
Analysis: After failing to reach the end zone via a pass in each of his first 14 appearances of the campaign, McBride capped the season with TD catches in back-to-back games. He also paced the Cardinals in receptions (111), targets (147) and receiving yards (1,146), all of which ranked second to rookie sensation Brock Bowers among tight ends in the entire NFL. At least at the conclusion of this season, McBride is the clear top pass catcher for Arizona, but 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison (62-885-8 on 116 targets as a rookie) may begin to make inroads on that mantle as soon as next fall. As a 2022 second-rounder, McBride is extension-eligible this offseason, so he may receive a long-term commitment from the team in the coming months. |
|
Kyler Murray Kyler Murray Tosses four TD passes in Week 18
Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 8:46 PM
Murray completed 25 of 35 passes for 242 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions and reeled off 22 yards on three carries during Sunday's 47-24 win against the 49ers
Analysis: In leading the Cardinals to their highest point total in a game this season, Murray played turnover-free football for the sixth time in 17 contests and also tossed a campaign-high four TD passes, connecting with WR Greg Dortch twice (from 23 and two yards), TE Trey McBride (two yards) and WR Marvin Harrison (12 yards). Murray ends the season with a 68.8 completion percentage, 226.5 passing yards per game and a 21:11 TD:INT while notching 78 carries for 572 yards and five more scores. This season marked the first of the five-year, $230.5 million extension he signed in July 2022, and he'll welcome back all of Arizona's key skill-position talent, including RB James Conner (knee) and WR Michael Wilson (hamstring), once the team reconvenes for the offseason program. |
|
Michael Wilson Michael Wilson Sitting out season finale
Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 2:03 PM
Wilson (hamstring) is listed as inactive Sunday versus the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Wilson was a late-week addition to the Cardinals' practice report Friday as limited due to a hamstring injury. Such a development could have been worrisome for the second-year wide receiver, and indeed he won't be available to the offense Sunday. As a result, more targets have been freed up for the likes of Greg Dortch, Zay Jones, Zach Pascal and Xavier Weaver behind top WR Marvin Harrison. |
|
Tony Jones Tony Jones Elevated for Week 18
Sat, Jan 4, 2025, 4:05 PM
The Cardinals elevated Jones from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday.
Analysis: Jones injured his shoulder during the preseason, which caused him to be let go by the Cardinals in late August with an injury settlement. He signed with Arizona's practice squad Dec. 18, and now that he's on the active roster, the 27-year-old will serve as the Cardinals' No. 3 running back behind Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas for Sunday's regular-season finale against the 49ers. |
|
Michael Wilson Michael Wilson Questionable for Sunday
Fri, Jan 3, 2025, 4:19 PM
Wilson is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers after being added to the injury report Friday with a hamstring injury, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Analysis: An end-of-week addition to the report isn't promising, and even more so because he's a wide receiver with a hamstring injury in Week 18 for a non-playoff team. It's possible the injury is minor enough that Wilson will play anyway, but the Cardinals may want to hold him back if it's a close call ahead of the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. A Week 18 absence for Wilson would leave more perimeter WR reps for Zay Jones, Zach Pascal and/or Xavier Weaver. |
|
Michael Carter Michael Carter Jumps to active roster
Wed, Jan 1, 2025, 3:22 PM
The Cardinals signed Carter off the practice squad to the active roster Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Arizona placed its top two running backs James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) on injured reserve over the last two days, necessitating at least one promotion to the active roster. Carter has received run the past two games, racking up 25 touches for 129 yards from scrimmage and no TDs. There's a good chance he serves as the team's No. 1 RB on Sunday against the 49ers, while DeeJay Dallas handles change-of-pace work out of the bacfield. |
|
James Conner James Conner Moves to injured reserve
Wed, Jan 1, 2025, 3:10 PM
The Cardinals placed Conner (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: In the last two days, Arizona has placed its top two running backs on IR, with rookie third-round pick Trey Benson (ankle) getting deactivated Tuesday. Conner thus will finish the 2024 campaign with 283 touches for 1,508 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns in 16 games. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals signed Michael Carter off the practice squad, and he likely will lead the backfield Sunday against the 49ers while DeeJay Dallas plays a complementary role. |
|
Trey Benson Trey Benson Won't play in Week 18
Tue, Dec 31, 2024, 3:31 PM
Arizona placed Benson (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Benson will end up missing the final three games of his rookie season due to the ankle injury he sustained in a Dec. 15 win over the Patriots. Before getting hurt, the third-round pick out of Florida State had solidified his spot as the top backup to lead back James Conner. Over his 13 appearances, Benson carried 63 times for 291 yards (4.6 average) and a touchdown while reeling in all six of his targets for 59 yards. |
|
Greg Dortch Greg Dortch Another three catches in Week 17
Mon, Dec 30, 2024, 7:43 PM
Dortch recorded three catches (on three targets) for 18 yards, one kick return for 28 yards and two punt returns for 15 yards during Saturday's 13-9 defeat at the Rams.
Analysis: Aside from a 60-yard outburst Week 15 against the Patriots, Dortch hasn't surpassed 20 receiving yards since Week 6, a stretch in which he's otherwise mustered an 11-61-1 line on 16 targets over nine contests. Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson typically handle a majority share of snaps afforded Cardinals wide receivers, leaving Dortch to compete with Zay Jones for tertiary reps at the position. |
|
Elijah Higgins Elijah Higgins Notches two catches Saturday
Mon, Dec 30, 2024, 7:37 PM
Higgins gathered in two of three targets for 23 yards during Saturday's 13-9 loss at the Rams.
Analysis: The Cardinals started three tight ends Week 17, but Trey McBride continued to dominate snaps (73 of 79) and targets (16, which resulted in a 12-123-1 line), while Higgins (22 and three, respectively) and Tip Reiman (24 and zero) were well behind in both regards. Since the team's Week 11 bye, Higgins' snap share has ranged from 19-36 percent on a game-to-game basis, but his cumulative 6-56-0 line on nine targets over the last six contests have left much to be desired. He'll look to put one last stamp on his second pro season Week 18 against the 49ers. |
|
Michael Carter Michael Carter Shifts back to practice squad
Mon, Dec 30, 2024, 6:19 PM
Carter reverted to the Cardinals' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction report.
Analysis: Carter was the beneficiary of No. 1 RB James Conner lasting just 12 offensive snaps before seemingly aggravating a knee injury that capped his practice reps during Week 17 prep. The former stepped in for Conner and parlayed 57 (of 79) snaps into 15 touches for 81 yards from scrimmage, including 70 yards on the ground (a 5.4 average). Meanwhile, fellow reserve back DeeJay Dallas (11 snaps) had just one catch and no carries for a second straight contest. With the status of both Conner and rookie third-rounder Trey Benson (inactive the last two games due to an ankle injury) up in the air for a Week 18 matchup with the 49ers, Carter could be Arizona's lead runner in the regular-season finale. |
|
Michael Wilson Michael Wilson Four-catch effort in loss
Sat, Dec 28, 2024, 10:51 PM
Wilson brought in four of six targets for 22 yards in the Cardinals' 13-9 loss to the Rams on Saturday night.
Analysis: Wilson finished third in receptions and targets on the night behind Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison, but he was way behind his teammates' respective 123- and 96-yard tallies. It was another lackluster showing for Wilson, who hasn't eclipsed 57 receiving yards since Week 5 and has four or fewer receptions in seven of the last eight games. The second-year wideout will close out the season at home against the 49ers in Week 18. |
|
Marvin Harrison Marvin Harrison Productive night in loss
Sat, Dec 28, 2024, 10:47 PM
Harrison secured six of 10 targets for 96 yards in the Cardinals' 13-9 loss to the Rams on Saturday night.
Analysis: The talented rookie finished second across the board in receptions, receiving yards and targets while posting his best totals in the first two categories since Week 8. Harrison's yardage tally was the third best of his career to date, and after weeks of middling production, the spike was encouraging. Harrison will head into a Week 18 matchup against the 49ers with a distant shot at cracking the 1,000-yard barrier for the season, as he'll need 178 receiving yards versus San Francisco's talented secondary. |
|
Michael Carter Michael Carter Steps up in Conner's absence
Sat, Dec 28, 2024, 10:41 PM
Carter rushed 13 times for 70 yards and brought in both targets for 11 yards in the Cardinals' 13-9 loss to the Rams on Saturday night.
Analysis: The journeyman back unexpectedly was handed the reins of the Cardinals' ground attack after James Conner exited the game in the first half with a knee injury. With Trey Benson (ankle) inactive, Carter took over as the lead back and consistently put together productive runs while compiling his highest rushing yardage total since Week 9 of the 2022 season. If the Cardinals opt to shut Conner down for the regular-season finale against the 49ers, Carter should have a solid complementary role, at minimum, in that game assuming Benson is also active. |
Connect With Us:
