Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or Devin Neal

Thursday, January 29, 6:17 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) very well could have had a Year 2 breakout season in 2025 had he not injured his knee early on. Benson ended up playing in only four games in his second year in the NFL, carrying the ball 29 times for 160 yards and no touchdowns while catching 13 of 16 targets for 64 yards. Primary RB James Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3. Conner is under contract for one more season, so if the 23-year-old Benson is healthy in 2026, he'll likely operate as the RB2 in the desert. Benson never had a major role behind Conner in his rookie campaign, totaling 63 rushing attempts for 291 yards and only one touchdown in 13 games played. On top of Benson's injury concerns -- he also had a major knee injury in college -- the Cardinals will have an entirely new coaching staff next season, and it's unclear what direction they'll go in at quarterback.

Thursday, December 18, 5:00 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (hamstring) has been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his 2025 season. Neal suffered a hamstring injury during New Orleans' Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers. With Saints backs Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) and Kendre Miller (knee) sidelined, Neal has served as his team's RB1 since Week 13. The 22-year-old played well across his two fully healthy starts, recording 153 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 37 touches. With Kamara's return timeline uncertain and Neal and Miller both done for the season, the Saints appear likely to turn to the combination of Audric Estime and Evan Hull for backfield snaps down the stretch of the season. Estime was the more productive of the two backs in Week 15, recording 50 scrimmage yards on six touches. New Orleans will host the New York Jets in Week 16 before traveling to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 17.