TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals are onto Plan C in the run game after watching both James Conner and Trey Benson head to injured reserve in the matter of two weeks.
Could that “C” stand for Michael Carter?
While fantasy football enthusiasts and Cardinals fans try to piece together info ahead of Arizona’s Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans, Carter didn’t leave much up for imagination on Wednesday when discussing the roller coaster of the 2025 season.
“It’s been a lot. … You go from Pat Tillman (Scout Player of the Week) one week to starting the next.”
Cardinals RB Michael Carter on the roller coaster this year has been and what this week’s opportunity means to him ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EvQx0K8Snu
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 1, 2025
“It’s been a lot, I’m not going to lie. You go from Pat Tillman (Scout Player of the Week) one week to starting the next. It’s a lot,” the running back said Wednesday. “You can say that it’s not, but it’s kind of a lot. But I got a great support system. Unbelievable. I got the best I feel like as far as my parents, friends and family, everybody.
“You pray for a moment to showcase your talent and here it is, right?” Carter added. “I think it’s as simple as that.”
Since coming to Arizona in 2023 as a November waiver claim, Carter has spent time between the practice squad and active roster, most recently signing onto the 53-man roster this week.
Across 10 career games (one start) and 218 offensive snaps for the Cardinals, he’s averaged 4.8 yards per carry on his way to 261 yards and a touchdown on 58 rushing attempts. Carter’s caught 20 of 22 targets for 90 yards and a score through the air.
His one start came in last year’s season finale against San Francisco. The running back totaled 43 yards and a score on 17 carries to go along with four catches for 16 yards.
Cardinals OC Drew Petzing on what both Emari Demercado and Michael Carter bring to Arizona’s backfield ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SV8IAzZLLf
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 1, 2025
“He finished the year last year in the San Francisco game, I thought on a really high note with the ball in his hand,” offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said Tuesday. “I think he’s gotten a lot better in pass protection throughout his career over the last three or four years. … Anytime you can get a guy who can really do all of those things at a really high level, I think it helps us as a team.”
“He’s fun to be around, he’s got a smile on his face, he’s positive,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “He works at improving his game. He’ll do anything you ask of him. Loves ball. He’s been a great teammate. He’ll go out and play well.”
What about the Cardinals’ Plan D for the run game?
If Plan C starts with Carter, Plan D represents Emari Demercado.
Carter likely represents the first option in early down situations, but don’t forget about Emari Demercado and the impact he’s had within Arizona’s offense.
The running back has been looked to frequently on late downs in recent seasons — on top of added return duties in 2025 — thanks to his abilities to pass protect.
He also made up for a Week 3 drop on Thursday with a game-tying touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
Demercado’s also got a pair of starts under his belt, rushing for 136 yards on 33 carries to go along with five catches (six targets) for 18 yards.
Across his three seasons in Arizona, the running back has totaled 515 yards and three touchdowns on 86 carries. He’s caught 39 footballs for 236 yards and a score.
And with 490 offensive snaps in Petzing’s system, Demercado remains a trusted option out of the backfield for the Cardinals.
“(Pass protection) is something he does at a really high level. He does a number of things as you’ve seen him run the ball with some big plays even there down the stretch in some of those two-minute drives.
“But just the trust we have in him and his ability to step up and win the 1-on-1s in pass protection is real comforting for the quarterback and certainly for the play caller as well.”
Being down two lead running backs typically doesn’t bode well for a run game in need of a jolt.
Heading into Week 5, the Cardinals remain well outside the top 10 of top rushing attacks.
They’re 31st in rushing touchdowns (one), 22nd in rushing yards per game (105.8), 14th in rushing yards per play (4.5), 26th in runs of at least 10 yards (nine) and 31st in rushing success rate (35.1%).
It’s on Carter, Demercado, Bam Knight and others to take the reins left behind by Conner and Benson.
And as Carter put it Wednesday, don’t forget about Knight.
“We don’t talk about him enough. He’s a good player,” Carter said of his former New York Jets teammate. “We had a similar situation in New York when I had got hurt. He took over and played (expletive) good.
“It’s going to take all of us. From the outside looking in, it looks like a one-man band. But it’s going to take every one of us to win the football game. I just try to look at it like that. I’m going to do my part though, put my best foot forward and opportunity of a lifetime.”
Every game is earned in the NFL, but Arizona’s new-look rushing attack will get a soft(ish) landing against a Tennessee Titans defense that is tied with Baltimore for the most touchdowns allowed on the ground (seven) and is giving up the fifth most rushing yards per game (141.5).
The chunk plays have been there, too, with Tennessee giving 15 plays of at least 10 yards. That’s the seventh most in the league through four weeks.
If the run-blocking has adapted and adjusted as Gannon noted through a mini bye post-Thursday Night Football, the duo of Carter and Demercado should find some room to run.
