The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.
We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.
Next up is running back Michael Carter.
2024 Michael Carter stats, season
Carter acquired on a waiver claim in November 2023, and he finished the season as the main backup running back.
However, as the Cardinals drafted Trey Benson in the third round, Emari Demercado was firmly entrenched as the third-down back and DeeJay Dallas was signed to a free agent deal and was a core special teamer, Carter did not make the 53-man roster out of training camp despite standing out in practice and the preseason.
He was on the practice squad all season and even was the Pat Tillman practice player of the week once. Late in the year, with injuries to James Conner, Benson and Demercado, Carter had his opportunity.
He played in three games, starting once. He had 135 rushing yards and a touchdown on 35 carries, and he caught 11 passes for 57 yards.
2025 contract status
When he was signed to the active roster late in the year from the practice squad, he was signed through 2025, something that is not terribly common for someone who would not have been an exclusive rights free agent.
He will make the league minimum, $1.17 million, will get a $50,000 workout bonus and will count $1.27 million against the cap.
Outlook for 2025
Things don’t change much for Carter. He will compete for a roster spot but it will be tough. Conner is the clear starter, so Carter will either have to beat out Benson for the primary backup job, be better than Demercado in the third-down role or be a better special teams player than Dallas, a career special teams player.
So unless he wants to sign elsewhere after the preseason, he will likely be in the same role as last season, working on the practice squad and waiting for his opportunity in the case of an injury or ineffectiveness.
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