Ingram finished his rookie campaign with 27 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown and four catches (on five targets) for 21 yards in 12 appearances.
What it means:
A 2022 sixth-round pick, Ingram was a healthy scratch for the first five games before making his debut Week 6. Despite numerous injuries in the backfield and the Cardinals cutting Eno Benjamin in early November, Ingram mustered three-plus touches in just three different contests and sputtered to 2.2 yards per carry. James Conner remains under contract with the team through 2024, but as the roster currently stands Ingram and Ty'Son Williams are the only other RBs ahead of the upcoming season. Arizona's new coaching staff and offseason moves may dictate how much work Ingram is able to squeeze out behind Conner, but the latter's injury history indicates the former could make a much larger mark in his second year as a pro.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Ingram and Corey Clement will be in store for increased roles in Sunday's game against the 49ers with top back James Conner (shin/knee) ruled out for the contest, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
What it means:
While Conner was sidelined for the entire fourth quarter of last week's win over the Falcons, Clement played 94 percent of the Cardinals' offensive snaps and carried five times for 25 yards in the final 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Ingram didn't garner any snaps on offense at any point during the contest, which suggests Clement may be the better bet of the two backs to pick up the Week 18 start and absorb most of Conner's snaps and touches. That being said, the Cardinals have more recent draft capital invested in Ingram, a sixth-round rookie, while the 28-year-old Clement has bounced around the league the past few seasons and profiles as more of a special-teams player at this stage of his career. With that in mind, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if Ingram carved out a larger role Sunday than expected, despite how he and Clement were deployed a week ago.
Ingram rushed once for one yard in Monday's 27-13 loss to the Patriots.
What it means:
Ingram played just nine offensive snaps in the contest, while starting running back James Conner was on the field for 71 of the Cardinals 75 offensive snaps. The rookie's lack of involvement while Conner operates as a true bell cow limit any potential he has to produce for fantasy purposes. Barring injuries, Ingram should be viewed as nothing more than a handcuff to Conner going forward. The Cardinals visit the Broncos in Week 15.
Ingram notched five carries for 19 yards during Monday's 38-10 loss to the 49ers.
What it means:
The Cardinals moved on from Eno Benjamin last week, effectively elevating Ingram to James Conner's direct backup. But with Conner able to handle a healthy majority of the snaps (55 of 71) and touches (16) Monday, Ingram was left with only a handful of opportunities on 18 offensive plays. While the carry count was the second-most of his young career, the 2022 sixth-round pick still is averaging just 2.5 YPC on his 19 rushes to date. Ingram thus doesn't hold much sway without Conner missing time.
Ingram is the only running back behind James Conner on the Cardinals' active roster after the team waived Eno Benjamin on Monday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
What it means:
Conner appeared to be operating on all cylinders Sunday at the Rams, earning 96 percent of the snaps and turning a season-high 24 touches into 86 yards from scrimmage and two TDs. Meanwhile, Ingram, a rookie sixth-rounder, was at seven percent and had one carry for five yards, and Benjamin rang in at one offensive play and muffed his only punt return. Conner will continue to handle the vast majority of reps out of Arizona's backfield moving forward. However, Ingram has a clear path to any reps that linger, especially with Darrel Williams (hip) and Jonathan Ward (hamstring) on IR, and Corey Clement and Ty'Son Williams the current candidates to be elevated from the team's practice squad.
Ingram had a two-yard carry during Sunday's 31-21 defeat to the Seahawks.
What it means:
With James Conner sidelined Weeks 6-8 due to a rib injury, Ingram got a bit of run on offense, notching 12 carries for 21 yards and a touchdown and hauling in both targets for 23 yards. But Conner returned to the lineup Week 9 and paced the Cardinals backfield with a 71 percent snap share and 12 touches, while Eno Benjamin moved back to a reserve role (27 percent, five touches). That left just one offensive play for Ingram, which leaves the rookie sixth-round pick on the outside looking in for reps as long as Conner is available.
