Cardinals move on from Trey Benson, waiving RB after two injury-shortened seasons

The Arizona Cardinals waived former third-round running back Trey Benson, placing him on the waived/injured list as the team continues trimming its roster. The move comes after two seasons in which injuries repeatedly limited Benson’s availability, cutting short a plan that originally viewed him as an in-house bridge in the backfield.

Benson was selected by Arizona in the third round with a roster-building idea attached: to develop into a successor type behind established production at the position. James Conner, a veteran presence in the Cardinals’ backfield at the time, represented the immediate standard, and Benson’s draft profile reflected that the organization expected him to grow into the next role.

Instead of an extended ramp-up season, Benson’s NFL run in Arizona became defined by time lost to injury. That reality, described in the Cardinals’ announcement relayed by Yahoo Sports, is the direct backdrop for the waiver decision.

The waived/injured designation is important for understanding what happens next. A player placed on that list is exposed to claims by other teams, and the outcome can vary depending on whether a club picks up the player, negotiates a settlement, or later takes steps related to recovery and contract status. For Arizona, the waiver move is a way to clear roster space while still processing a player who has not been fully available.

While Benson’s Cardinals tenure ends here, the broader roster implications land on the team’s depth chart for the coming regular-season stretch. When a young running back with draft investment is removed through this process, it typically means the coaching staff must lean harder on remaining backs and continue evaluating options who can stay healthy through camp and the early part of the schedule.

For Benson, this is the next chapter. If he clears waivers, he could reach an arrangement that allows him to resume his path back to health and return to football. If another team claims him, the situation shifts to a new organization that will assess both his recovery timeline and how he fits into their backfield rotation.