It wasn't a surprise that Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday morning that veteran running back James Conner wasn't going to play the season finale Sunday against the 49ers.
It also wasn't a surprise that the Cardinals subsequently placed Conner on Injured Reserve later in the day with his lingering right knee injury. They filled the spot by promoting running back Michael Carter to the active roster from the practice squad.
The Cardinals will be without their top three running backs for the last game; Trey Benson went on IR on Tuesday and Emari Demercado has been on IR since Dec. 14.
Conner finishes the season with a career-best 1,094 yards with eight touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards a carry. He also had 47 receptions for 414 yards and a TD. He signed a two-year contract extension during the season through 2026.
Carter has already filled in as Conner's replacement the last two games after Conner left each with his knee problem. The veteran and one-time Jets starter spent the season on the practice squad before being elevated the last two weeks. He has gained 88 yards on 18 carries, 4.9 yards an attempt. He also has seven catches for 41 yards.
DeeJay Dallas will be one of the backups, and a practice-squad option -- likely Tony Jones Jr. -- will be elevated for game day depth.
