Green Bay decided not to claim Trey Benson off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals , but Brian Gutekunst still has a realistic shot.
The Green Bay Packers did not claim running back Trey Benson off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals, but the former fourth-round pick may actually be closer to joining Green Bay than he was before. The reason comes down to NFL waiver rules and the injury settlement process, which could open a cleaner path for the Packers to add Benson to their roster later this season.
Arizona waived Benson with an injury designation on Monday, categorizing him as waived/injured. He cleared waivers on Tuesday, meaning no NFL team absorbed his existing contract with the Cardinals. Because he was waived with that injury designation and went unclaimed, Benson reverted back to the Cardinals' injured reserve.
The next step in this process is generally predictable. When a player is waived/injured and clears waivers, the original team typically reaches an injury settlement with the player, then releases him again. At that point, Benson would become a true free agent, free to sign with any team.
With a settlement, the Cardinals and Benson would agree on compensation corresponding to the estimated recovery time from the injury. Arizona would pay a fraction of Benson's 2026 salary based on that timeline, then waive him again.
It was always unlikely that Green Bay (or any team) would claim Benson through the waiver process. The Packers would have had to absorb his contract and add him to the 90-man roster
without a real understanding of the injury. From one day to the next, it is difficult to evaluate a player's medical situation with enough clarity to justify that kind of commitment.
Players waived with an injury designation rarely get claimed for exactly that reason. The situation is difficult to assess for any team working on a short timeline. The expected outcome was always that Benson would clear waivers and revert to the Cardinals' IR.
The most likely scenario is that Benson eventually reaches an injury settlement with Arizona. The Cardinals could theoretically keep him on injured reserve for the entire 2026 season, but he'd be out for the year since he was placed on IR before the final roster cuts day and cannot be designated for return. That outcome, however, would benefit neither side.
Once a settlement is reached, Benson goes through waivers again, then becomes a free agent. The Packers could then bring him in for a visit when he is fully healthy, evaluate the medical situation with far more clarity, and potentially sign him to the practice squad. That could happen during the regular season.
This path gives Green Bay a significant advantage compared to the waiver process. Instead of committing a roster spot to a player with an unclear injury, the Packers would be able to evaluate Benson in person, understand his health, and make a decision with full information.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Packers didn't pull the trigger on efficient offensive weapon, but he may be closer to Green Bay than ever
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