When Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon referred to the team’s locker room leading the way in helping establish his team-building beliefs, running back James Conner was high on his list of tempo-setters.
It’s funny that much of the fanbase narrative last year was that Conner was making too much money. That is not the case now, after Conner rushed for a career-high 1,040 yards on a career-high 5.0 yards per attempt, sixth in the league in 2023, and seven touchdowns. He did so despite missing four games because of a knee injury. He added two scores on 27 receptions for 165 yards.
It was no coincidence that Conner’s production began after returning from his injury the same week that quarterback Kyler Murray played his first game of the season.
Over the final eight games, Conner had three games of 100 or more yards while totaling 676. Seven (five rushing, two receiving) of his nine touchdowns were in those games and he had 204 yards from scrimmage (150 rushing, 54 receiving) in the season finale against the Seahawks.
He was voted the team MVP by the Arizona chapter of the Professional Football Writers of America.
With the start of the 2024 league year next week, it will be worth watching to see if the Cardinals extend his contract beyond the one year remaining. It is not imperative that his $8.93 million cap charge be lowered, but it would be advantageous to make a commitment and get him under contract beyond this year.
Currently, aside from 15 players that arrived as rookies in Arizona since 2022, only three – Murray, tackle D.J. Humphries and safety Jalen Thompson – are under contract in 2025.
With a glut of experienced running backs on the free agent market and not expected to achieve big-money deals, Conner is well worth his $4.23 million base salary, $1.5 million roster bonus due March 17 and $15,000 per-game roster bonuses, despite the fact he will turn 29 on May 5. The Cardinals could elect to convert the roster bonus and some of the salary to a signing bonus and add two years to the contract. It would be a smart move.
Prior to the Seattle game two months ago, Gannon was asked if he thought Conner could continue playing with his signature physicality in 2024 and beyond. After all, in his seven-year career, he has never played in every game of a season, missing 14 games in three seasons with the Steelers and 10 of 51 in three with the Cardinals.
Not hesitating, Gannon said, “Here’s what I know about him: You want to talk about when you’re outside of the white lines (with) what he does from a conditioning standpoint and from a recovery standpoint? I would call that whole bucket the physiotherapeutic standpoint. There’s nobody better. If you think that certain guys start to fall off because they get a little older, he’d be the one to delay it. I know that.”
After the final game of the season, Gannon called Conner a “true warrior. A true pro.”
A few minutes later, Conner was asked his reaction to Gannon saying he’s a blueprint for what a pro looks and acts like.
He said, “Just the day-to-day preparation, the process. Some people may think that you can just roll it out on Sundays, but Monday through Saturday is so important. I understand how important that is. He just sees me working extra, sees me in the training room, sees me in the weight room, interacting with the guys. I know JG was that type of player.
“I can tell from his personality. He’s somebody who truly loves the game of football just like I love the game and he understands the work that we have to put in. I just match his intensity, so I think that’s what he sees.”
As for Gannon’s thoughts on delaying the usual decline for running backs, Conner said, “I will be that guy to delay that because I understand what it takes. It is a 17-game season. My preparation; I dedicate everything to it. Recovering. I’ll be able to play 17 games for many years to come, just because it’s all about recovery and nutrition.
“I have a whole team of people — Chef, massage, everything that helps you. Twenty-nine isn’t old. I’m 28. I will be 29 in May. My best years are yet to come. I’m a big fan of (former player) Fred Taylor. He had 1,000 yards at 30. I’m dedicated, and Lord willing, I’ll be good.”
For the record, Taylor, who was among the 15 finalists for the 2024 Hall of Fame class, rushed for 1,146 yards in his age-30 year and 1,202 the next season.
Conner and the Cardinals would surely take that.
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