Who Should I Start? James Conner or Najee Harris

Wednesday, January 1, 4:15 PM

According to the team, the Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) was placed on injured reserve, which will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season. In a corresponding move, Michael Carter was promoted to the active roster. Conner suffered a knee injury during their Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers and was listed as questionable leading up to their Week 17 tilt against the Rams. Conner was able to suit up in this contest but exited the game after just 12 offensive snaps. In this game, Conner ran the ball just four times for four yards and brought in two receptions for four yards. Rookie Trey Benson (ankle) is also on injured reserve, which will leave DeeJay Dallas and now Michael Carter as the lone backs for their final game. Carter saw the most work when Conner exited both games, which suggests he will be the lead option on Sunday afternoon.

Saturday, January 18, 12:20 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will both be free agents in March, and Cordarrelle Patterson has one year left on his two-year deal. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac expects only one of those three RBs to return in 2025. Harris' return could be in jeopardy despite the fact that he's just one of 14 players in NFL history to start their career with four straight 1,000-yard seasons. The writing was on the wall when the team didn't pick up his fifth-year option last spring, and bringing him back on the franchise tag would cost $13.6 million. Dulac suggests the Steelers would prefer to look for a replacement in the NFL draft, which should have a deep class at the position. Warren is a restricted free agent, so he has a greater chance to return. While Harris did have 1,000 yards rushing in 2024, it was the second straight season he went without a TD reception.