TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals officially opened the 21-day practice window for running back Trey Benson on Wednesday, he is now eligible to participate in organized practices and drills with the team without counting toward the 53-man roster.
Benson, 23, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after tearing his meniscus in the team’s Week 4 loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks. His recovery time was 4–6 weeks, meaning he is actually returning later than expected.
On Wednesday, Benson was a limited participant in practice, which is a good sign for head coach Jonathan Gannon after the recent news that broke out of the training facility today. Gannon said that the team will evaluate Benson “day by day.”
Emari Demercado, the team’s No. 1 running back on the depth chart, did not practice today, which could impact the status of Benson for Sunday, as he is nursing a high ankle sprain that he suffered against the 49ers last weekend.
If Benson is able to work his way back to being a full participant in practice by Friday, all signs would point to him suiting up on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Having Benson available as a fallback would be huge for Gannon, as the running back depth is somewhat slim with the absence of Demercado.
Trey Benson, along with Bam Knight, would be the committee taking the backfield on Sunday if this turns out to be the case.
Through four weeks, Benson rushed for 160 yards (40 per game) on 29 carries, but he has yet to find the end zone in his second season. Most of the work came as the team’s No. 2 option in the backfield.
If Benson is not yet ready to return on Sunday, expect the tandem of Bam Knight and Michael Carter to carry the majority of the workload. We will learn more about Benson’s status as we get closer to the weekend.