Cardinals HC Drops Surprising Hint About RB Status

The Arizona Cardinals could very well see a practice squad player elevated.

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter (22) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals had some tough decisions to make at running back ahead of final roster cuts - and when the dust settled - veteran Michael Carter found himself as the odd man out.

Arizona obviously has starter James Conner in the fold. Behind him is rookie running back Trey Benson, free agent signing DeeJay Dallas and returning backup Emari Demercado.

Carter - with a $3 million cap hit for the season - is considered one of the best pure runners out of the group, but simply fell short in Arizona's overall roster construction. He was released to the surprise of many, though Carter was promptly brought back to the team's practice squad.

Here's the reason Michael Carter was cut: A proven performance escalator pushed his 2024 base salary to $3.37M, which was way too high given his standing as RB3 or RB4.

Cards will try to bring him back at a lower cost.

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) August 28, 2024

Even in a stacked room, head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Carter will ultimately end up playing for the Cardinals in their regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

From Arizona Sports' Tyler Drake on Twitter/X:

"Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon told @BurnsAndGambo that if he was a betting man, he would bet RB Michael Carter 'ends up suiting up for us and playing on game day for us.'"

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon told @BurnsAndGambo that if he was a betting man, he would bet RB Michael Carter "ends up suiting up for us and playing on game day for us."

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 3, 2024

NFL teams are permitted to elevate two players from the practice squad to the active roster before a game.

Carter was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals late last season from the New York Jets, and his ability to run the rock was put on display - notably in Arizona's win over the Philadelphia Eagles where Carter rushed for 61 yards on just seven carries.

Carter found the end zone this preseason for Arizona and has always been held in high regards by Gannon.

“He has a lot of energy and juice to play football. He loves the game of football, and I love that about him. He’s a competitor. He loves to practice. You can’t get him out of practice. He wants to take all the scout team reps and all the, the first team reps. He wants to practice," Gannon said of Carter last season.

The Cardinals will release their first injury report of the season later today.

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