Cardinals meeting with former Pro Bowl RB James Conner

The Cardinals will meet with James Conner Monday, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. This marks Conner’s first known visit of the offseason. 

Conner made his mark in 2018, emerging from Le’Veon Bell‘s shadow. That year, he rushed for 973 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns, plus 55 catches for 497 yards. Then in 2019, he was limited to just 464 yards on the ground and six games thanks in part to knee and shoulder trouble.

This past year, he was on pace for a 1,000-yard season up until he tested positive for COVID-19 in November. It was a scary situation for the cancer survivor, but fortunately, he was OK. Ultimately, he finished 2020 with 721 yards on the ground and six scores, plus 35 grabs for 215 yards. The Steelers haven’t shown a ton of interest in re-signing Conner, and he remains available for the league’s other 31 teams.

“My goal is to win,” Conner said last year when asked about the possibility of a Pittsburgh extension. “I have the opportunity to do that. The special team we got, pieces that were out last year coming back healthy. I’m not playing for a contract or playing not to get hurt. I’m playing to win, that’s what it’s about, to be part of Super Bowl No. 7 for the organization.”

With the Cardinals, he could help replace the production of Kenyan Drake, who has since left to join up with the Raiders. Currently, the Cardinals have Chase Edmonds, Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward and Khalfani Muhammad on the RB depth chart.