They might've taken a frustrating Week 12 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, but the Arizona Cardinals have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFC thus far. At 6-5, they're currently tied with Seattle for first place in the NFC West. The playoffs are certainly within reach.
Having Kyler Murray healthy has obviously helped the team immensely, but James Conner's health and production cannot be overlooked. The 29-year-old hadn't played more than 15 games in any of his seven NFL seasons prior to this year and had never started more than 13 contests. At 11 games played and 11 starts, Conner is on track to best both of those marks.
With that in mind, the Cardinals made sure to reward their running back, inking him to a two-year extension worth $19 million according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Compensation update: Cardinals are rewarding James Conner with a two-year, $19 million extension, per source. https://t.co/ful9xd00fE
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2024
NFL contract grades: Cardinals ensure key member of their offense isn't going anywhere
Again, having Murray back helps, but despite drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. and rostering Trey McBride, Conner is the player leading the team in scrimmage yards. His 993 scrimmage yards are over 300 more than McBride who ranks second overall. He has been a threat on the ground and even in the air.
The Cardinals have gone 5-1 in games that have seen Conner reach 100 yards from scrimmage and 1-4 in games in which he has not. They just lost in Seattle in a game that saw Conner record eight total yards on the ground and 41 in the air. He has to be involved for them to win.
Ensuring that their most productive skill position player from what's been a solid season thus far makes sense, but the timing of this is a bit curious.
The Cardinals drafted Trey Benson, a running back, in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It was easy to assume that sometime in the not-too-distant future he was going to take Conner's spot as the team's No. 1 back. Despite a solid showing when he's been given the ball, it's unlikely that Benson is going to be the team's featured back when Conner is healthy for at least the next couple of seasons.
Given Conner's strong season and importance to this team, the value of this deal is solid. Committing to a 29-year-old who has dealt with numerous injuries over the years, though, is a bit questionable, especially when Benson was just drafted pretty high.
James Conner contract grade: B