The Arizona Cardinals placed running back Bam Knight on injured reserve on Tuesday, a move that will end his 2025 season.
Knight, 24, was carted off the field after sustaining a high-ankle sprain in the team’s 40–20 loss to the Houston Texans on the road. The injury occurred in the first quarter on Knight’s first touch of the game.
The team also placed wide receiver Andre Baccellia on injured reserve with a neck injury, ending his season as well.
This isn’t the first time the Cardinals have lost a running back for the season; in fact, this is the third instance in which this has happened. The team lost its lead back, James Conner, in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, where he suffered a right-foot injury that led to him being carted off. Conner, 30, underwent season-ending surgery on his foot.
A week later, Trey Benson, who took over duties as the Cardinals' starting running back, suffered a knee injury that led to him being placed on injured reserve. Originally expected to return later in the season, head coach Jonathan Gannon shut Benson down Dec. 10 as he was not ready to be activated from the IR at the end of his 21-day practice window.
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Michael Carter, who was promoted to the active roster in November, will take over as the lead back for the remainder of the season.
Carter, 26, was a former fourth-round pick in 2021, where he played three seasons with the New York Jets before being released in November of the 2023 season. He was swiftly picked up by the Cardinals and signed to their practice squad.
In 2025, Carter has played in 10 games, where he has 67 carries for 221 yards and one touchdown.
For now, Carter, as well as Emari Demercado, are the only healthy running backs that the team has had on either its active roster or practice squad. The team signed running back Corey Kiner off of the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad on Dec. 2. Kiner made his NFL debut on Sunday, where he saw two carries for 11 yards.
The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention on Nov. 30 after their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team is playing solely for their draft pick, which may be in the top five depending on how they finish in the final three weeks.
Cardinals' final three opponents: vs. Falcons/ @ Bengals/ @ Rams