ASU Football: Kenyan Drake Injury Gives Benjamin and Foster a Chance

NBC’s Sunday Night Football was undoubtedly the best NFL game of the year so far in 2020.

Kyler Murray’s dominance, Russel Wilson’s questionable decision-making, Tyler Lockett’s heroics, and the Cardinals’ resilience stole the show.

However, there was a significant injury for the Cardinals in starting RB Kenyan Drake going down with a slightly torn ligament in his ankle. He will be out for a few weeks, and Chase Edmonds will start.

Chase Edmonds has been the second back for the Cardinals this year and has been involved in every game so far. Now with Drake hurt, the Cards will be giving a new running back secondary duties since Edmonds will be the lead dog.

The Cardinals have some work to do as they head into the bye week in terms of analyzing who should be that next guy. Two of those options are ASU alumni.

D.J. Foster and Eno Benjamin are two backup running backs for the Cardinals. Benjamin was taken in the seventh round of the NFL draft this year for the Cards, and D.J. Foster was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots in 2016 and has been with Arizona since 2017.

Foster’s career highlights were winning the Super Bowl with New England in 2016, being a good special teams player throughout many moments in his career, and a highlight reel toe-tap that set up a 57-yard game-winning field goal for the Cardinals against the 2017 AFC runner-up Jacksonville Jaguars.

Benjamin may not have any career highlights just yet, but like Foster, had a great career at Arizona State, and has the potential to contribute as a second option or change-of-pace back.

Foster has already proven what he can do as a pass-catching back at the NFL level, and Benjamin has potential there. The Cardinals have liked Foster for a while now, and maybe they’ll see the now five-year veteran as a more reliable option than the rookie.

Both are in the mix, however, and even if the Cardinals choose to sign somebody in the offseason, they will have to think long and hard about the two League Devils.

Foster played for ASU from 2012 to 2015, averaged 5.3 yards per carry, scored 32 total touchdowns, and totaled 4,813 scrimmage yards. Benjamin played for the Devils from 2017 to 2019, averaged five yards per carry, scored 31 total touchdowns, and posted 3,492 scrimmage yards.