James Conner, Cardinals Agree to New Contract, Latest Salary Cap Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

After being limited to three games last season due to an ankle injury, veteran running back James Conner is set to bounce back with the Arizona Cardinals in 2026.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Conner and the Cardinals agreed to a revised contract that will keep him in Arizona for the 2026 season. He was originally set to count for a $9.8 million salary cap hit, so Sunday's deal should add to Arizona's $48.2 million in cap space.

The Cardinals started the 2025 season with back-to-back wins before losing Conner in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers. In his absence, Arizona won just one more game for the entire year and ended the season with nine straight losses to tie for the worst record in the NFL at 3-14.

Without Conner, the Cardinals struggled to find a lead running back for the entire season. 2024 third-round pick Trey Benson suffered a knee injury in Week 4 and didn't return. Michael Carter led the team with 333 rushing yards, while Bam Knight led the team with four rushing touchdowns. No player on the team registered 100 carries or more. Arizona ranked 31st in the NFL with an average of 93.1 rushing yards per game.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Conner originally joined the Cardinals on a one-year deal in 2021 before signing a three-year extension the following year and another two-year extension in 2024. He recorded his first career 1,000-yard season in 2023 with 1,040 yards, and he posted a career-high 1,094 yards in 2024 along with eight touchdowns.

While a healthy Benson is expected to take over as the lead back in Arizona, retaining Conner provides some stability for the Cardinals, who are continuing their rebuild under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Arizona is parting ways with star quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason, so it needs as much veteran help as it can get for LaFleur's first year at the helm.