The Arizona Cardinals could trade James Conner because there's no clear role for the veteran on their roster. Getty
The New England Patriots will need to navigate the next few weeks without running back TreVeyon Henderson. The second-year playmaker suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
New England has the right veteran running back on the roster to replace Henderson. Rhamondre Stevenson is a former 1,000-yard rusher and has gained at least 600 yards on the ground in his first five seasons with the Patriots.
But Stevenson and Corey Kiner are the only healthy running backs on the New England roster. With that in mind, pundits have begun proposing which running backs the Patriots might be able to target on the trade market this month.
On Tuesday, NBC Boston's Justin Leger named several potential options, including Arizona Cardinals veteran James Conner.
"Conner hasn't played since Week 3 of last season due to a foot injury. When he returns from IR, which should be soon, he won't have a clear role on a Cardinals team that drafted rookie phenom Jeremiyah Love and signed the reliable Tyler Allgeier to back him up in the offseason," wrote Leger .
"Obviously, whether the Patriots should consider acquiring Conner depends entirely on his health status. If he's ready to make an immediate impact, exploring a trade for him should be a no-brainer."
Conner is a two-time former Pro Bowler. During his most recent full season in 2024, he ran for 1,094 rushing yards with eight touchdowns.
The veteran is a dual-threat. In 2024, he had 47 catches for 414 receiving yards and a touchdown.
GettyThe Arizona Cardinals could trade James Conner because there's no clear role for the veteran on their roster.
Leger was hardly the first analyst to identify Conner as a trade candidate. As he explained, it's unclear how the Cardinals will use the veteran running back since they selected Jeremiyah Love in the 2026 NFL Draft and added fellow veteran Tyler Allgeier in free agency.
The Cardinals showed with the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade after Week 5 that they are probably ready to unload players that aren't going to be part of their future. At 31 years old, Conner simply isn't going to have a future in Arizona because of his age.
In the short term, though, he could be a very valuable veteran for the Patriots. Conner could fill in for Henderson as a RB2 behind Stevenson.
Conner's versatility makes him a candidate to have any role the Patriots might need him to do in the backfield. In 110 NFL games, Conner has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and posted 289 catches for 2,255 receiving yards. He's scored 72 total touchdowns — 60 on the ground and 12 receptions.
Conner made his first Pro Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. He posted 1,470 yards from scrimmage with 13 touchdowns that season. During his other Pro Bowl campaign, Conner had 1,127 yards from scrimmage and a career-best 18 total scores.
During 2024, he had career-highs in rushing and yards from scrimmage while posting his second straight 1,000-yard season.
Last year, Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury during Week 3. He had 95 rushing yards on 32 attempts in three games.
Stevenson has gained 227 rushing yards in the first five contests this season. If he stays healthy, he's on pace for his highest rushing total since 2024.
As a rookie last season, though, Henderson had 911 rushing yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He also scored 10 touchdowns, including nine rushing.
That's the production Conner could help replace on a short term basis if traded to New England.
Conner came back to Arizona this offseason on a 1-year, $3 million contract . That would make it somewhat surprising if the Cardinals deal Conner before he officially returns from injury.
But the rebuilding Cardinals might not be able to resist a draft pick for a 31-year-old running back on an expiring deal. The Patriots should be able to add Conner for a Day 3 selection. As a rental player, he would be a short-term fix for as long as Henderson is out.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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