James Conner, the Arizona Cardinals running back, suffered a severe right ankle injury during Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. The injury was gruesome enough that he was carted off the field and had players from both teams gathering around to support him. This injury will require surgery, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2025 season, with a return this year being highly unlikely. Conner, aged 30, had been a key veteran leader for the Cardinals and had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons prior to this injury. His injury is a significant setback both for his career and the Cardinals, as they now have to rely more heavily on other running backs like Trey Benson and Emari Demercado for the rest of the season. Conner's days as a regular contributor might be in question going forward given the severity of the injury and his age.
