The Cardinals offense was a different beast when Conner was healthy. He proved an ideal fit in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme. In 2023, Conner’s 3.93 yards after contact per attempt ranked No. 1 in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. His 60 missed forced tackles ranked tied for second, behind only Travis Etienne‘s 64, which came on 59 more rush attempts. Conner’s 13 rushes of 15-plus yards ranked sixth among RBs.
Not only does Conner want to stay above the 1,000-yard plateau in 2024, but he plans to get more involved in the passing game after catching just 27 passes for 165 yards and two scores last season.
“I feel like I’m capable of making plays in the passing game,” Conner said. “So, that’s why we’re working. That’s why we’re here in the OTA period working on it and carry it through training camp and into the season, so challenge accepted.”
The Cardinals drafted Trey Benson in the third round, a back with burst who can contribute to the passing attack. We’ll get a better idea during camp and preseason how much the rookie will slice into Conner’s reps in 2024.