Where Cardinals' James Conner Falls in Player Rankings
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals don't have many household names entering the 2024 offseason, though running back James Conner is one.
Conner - arguably the team's MVP last season - crossed the coveted 1,000 yard milestone in just 13 games while adding nine total touchdowns to his name. Conner's 5.0 yards per carry was a career-high for the former Steelers rusher.
There wasn't many consistent factors for the Cardinals to rely on last season, but Conner's performance on weekly basis in OC Drew Petzing's new offense took notice of eyes across the league.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked their top 101 players from 2023, and Conner landed at No. 80:
"The Cardinals weren’t exactly must-watch TV for much of the 2023 season, and that means a lot of people slept on running back James Conner‘s outstanding year. He topped 1,000 yards at 5.0 yards per attempt, with 3.9 of those yards coming after contact," wrote PFF.
He was the only Cardinals player to crack the list.
Conner is heading into the final year of his contract, where he's set to have a cap hit of $8.9 million.
Spotrac shows the Cardinals do have an out in his deal where Arizona would accrue just $3 million in dead cap if they cut him this offseason, though it's very hard to imagine the team parting ways with little depth behind him.
Conner will be 29-years-old by the start of next season. He played 47% of snaps for the Cardinals in 2023.
