Cardinals place RB James Conner on IR/designated to return, out first 4 games

The Arizona Cardinals will be without their lead running back for the start of the 2026 season. The team placed veteran RB James Conner on injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning he will miss at least the first four games.

Conner missed the back half of last season with a severe ankle injury, and while he avoided the PUP list to open training camp, he had yet to take part in team drills. The IR/return tag allows Arizona to bring him back at midseason once he is healthy, but the early portion of the schedule now falls to the rest of the backfield. The Cardinals also placed defensive lineman Zach Carter (knee) on IR with a designation to return among their final cuts to 53.

For a Cardinals offense hoping to lean on the run game, losing Conner — a steady, physical presence who has been the engine of the ground attack — forces a reshuffled rotation out of the gate.