The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday that they have released running back Trey Benson, bringing an end to his brief stint with the team.
What led to Trey Benson’s release?
Arizona selected Benson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but injuries repeatedly limited his availability during his two seasons.
The Cardinals also made significant changes to their running back group this offseason, bringing back James Conner, signing Tyler Allgeier and selecting Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
The 24-year-old Benson appeared in 13 games during his rookie season but missed Weeks 16 and 17 after being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He finished that campaign with 291 rushing yards and one touchdown on 63 carries.
The following season presented another opportunity for Benson after Conner suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3. Benson briefly stepped into a larger role, only to suffer a season-ending injury himself in Week 4.
Benson faced tough competition for spot
Across his two seasons in Arizona, Benson played 17 games and made two starts. He recorded 451 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
Heading into 2026 training camp, Benson was already facing an uphill battle for a roster spot.
The return of Conner, the addition of Allgeier and the arrival of Love made competition even tougher. Benson also continued to miss practice time while recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
Josh Sweat cleared after lengthy offseason saga
Meanwhile, the Cardinals received a significant boost elsewhere on Monday by activating pass rusher Josh Sweat from the physically unable to perform list.
The 29-year-old’s return ends a lengthy offseason situation that had raised questions about whether he would be ready for the start of the regular season.
The uncertainty began in the spring after the Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, who had originally brought Sweat to Arizona in free agency.
Sweat skipped voluntary organized team activities, as he has typically done, before reporting for mandatory minicamp. He remained around the team during training camp but had yet to participate in practice, with Arizona explaining that the 29-year-old needed additional time to get back into football shape.
With Sweat now cleared to return, he has roughly 20 days to work his way back into Nick Rallis’ defense before the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.