Cardinals Trade RB to Patriots Ahead of Roster Cuts

The Cardinals' running back room was stacked with talent, and despite Kiner's strong efforts in last night's game against the Green Bay Packers, he was on the outside looking in of making the final roster.

Kiner has been a strong runner for Arizona all preseason, and he very likely could have been claimed by another organization before he fell to New England in the waiver process. The Patriots are 31st in waiver priority thanks to their Super Bowl run last season.

For the Patriots, they get a running back for minimal draft capital — and that pick isn't even until 2028. For the Cardinals, it's a win that they get at least something for a running back who very clearly wasn't going to be on the roster in 2026.

Kiner talled 35 yards on five carries before he was pulled from action in last night's loss against the Packers. He was deemed a major winner emerging from Green Bay, which you can read more about here.

The Cardinals move forward into the regular season with Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier set to lead their running back room. Bam Knight is penciled in to make the roster, though all eyes are on James Conner and his future.

Final roster cuts are due at 6:00 PM EST/3:00 PM AZ time on Sunday.

Kiner, across all four Cardinals preseason games, rushed 39 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He looks to be a supplemental runner in New England's ground attack that features Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

Kiner was an undrafted free agent entering the league in 2025 and previously spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings before the Cardinals signed him in December of last season. He appeared in four regular season games and rushed for 58 yards on 12 attempts (4.8 YPC) while adding two receptions for 15 yards to finish 2025.