The Arizona Cardinals head into Week 13 still unsure about a key part of their backfield, as Trey Benson hasn’t played since Week 4. While last week brought some encouraging signs, the latest updates have once again clouded the outlook.
Trey Benson Injury Update
Benson suffered a knee injury in Week 4 that required arthroscopic surgery and led to a stint on injured reserve. After being designated to return last week, he logged three limited practices, sparking optimism that he was closing in on a comeback.
Benson was limited in practice on Wednesday, offering a brief hint that he might return soon. But he didn’t practice on Thursday, and things haven’t improved since, shutting down that early optimism.
On Friday, the Cardinals officially ruled out Benson for this week’s matchup. Still, his recent stretch of limited practices indicates that the organization believes he’s close, even if the exact return date isn’t yet locked in.
Before going down, Benson was contributing well in the opening month of the season, totaling 160 rushing yards on 29 carries and adding 64 receiving yards on 13 catches. His last appearance in Week 4 featured 35 yards on eight attempts, a promising glimpse of what Arizona hoped to build around after James Conner’s season-ending injury.
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Once he is healthy, the expectation remains that Benson will reclaim the lead role from Bam Knight as the Cardinals evaluate their third-round pick over the rest of the season. According to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, the Cardinals currently have the 22nd-ranked offense in the league, and without Benson, things are unlikely to get better.
As of now, Benson could potentially play next week. However, for the upcoming game against the Buccaneers, they’ll have to be without the 23-year-old running back.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Cardinals’ Insights for Week 13
Team: Arizona is one loss from its fourth straight losing season.
QB: Jacoby Brissett has passed for 769 yards in the last two games. It’s the most yards in a two-game span in his ten-year career.
Offense: Arizona is one of three teams not to score at least 28 points in one game this season.
Defense: The Cardinals have allowed 112 points during their current three-game losing streak
Fantasy: Trey Benson sounds close to returning, and after non-QB Cardinals ran 17 times for 35 yards against the Jags, this is a team that could use it. Benson should be viewed as the clear-cut workhorse in Arizona when the team deems him healthy enough to be active.
Buccaneers’ Insights for Week 13
Team: The Buccaneers finish with six games, with four against teams with a losing record and two games against the 6-6 Panthers.
QB: Teddy Bridgewater has not started a game since Week 17 of the 2022 season, when he was with the Dolphins.
Offense: Tampa Bay recorded an OFFi score of 61.2 (D-) against the Rams in Week 12. The Buccaneers have received a D+ or worse in three of the last five games.
Defense: The Buccaneers have graded at a D level the last two weeks against the Bills and Rams. Tampa Bay gave up 44 points against Buffalo and 34 against Los Angeles in two losses.
Fantasy: Baker Mayfield gets hurt, and Chris Godwin returns: Emeka Egbuka has hit 60 receiving yards in just one of his past six games, and the situation around him is trending away from him.