Cardinals RB James Conner: 1,000-yard year is 'the floor, not the ceiling'

It took seven seasons for Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner to hit the 1,000-yard plateau. The 29-year-old aims to stay above the threshold for the rest of his career.

“That’s the floor,” Conner said, via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. “I want that to be the lowest I rush for in my career going forward.

“Definitely got a lot of work to put in, but that’s the floor, not the ceiling.”

Conner rushed for 1,040 yards and seven touchdowns on 208 carries in 2023 despite missing four games in the middle of the season while on injured reserve due to an MCL sprain. His 5.0 yards per carry marked a career high and ranked third among running backs with at least 200 carries.

“I don’t take it lightly,” Conner said of passing the 1,000-yard mark in Year 7. “Just being able to play the game and, so, with the accolades that came along with, I recognize that a little bit. The hard work kind of paid off.”

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.