It's this week or never for the Arizona Cardinals and running back Trey Benson.
Benson, who is still working his way back from a knee injury suffered in Week 4, was designated to return from injured reserve on Nov. 19, giving him a 21-day window to be activated or else he has to miss the rest of the season.
Benson has practiced since then, but he has now missed a handful of practices in a row, which has led many to wonder if he has suffered a setback in his recovery.
With the window set to close on Wednesday, the Cardinals must make a decision this week. Here's what we know about Benson's chances of returning.
Will Trey Benson return in Week 15?
While there is no definitive answer yet, we would say Benson has a worse than 50/50 shot to be activated and play in Week 15. If he isn't activated, Benson will miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, there is a "real chance" that Benson doesn't return at all this season.
"Cardinals RB Trey Benson — who has not played since Week 4 due to a meniscus injury — must be activated this week or his season is over," Schefter said. "And with his practice window soon closing, there now is a real chance he will not be activated this week, per sources, and he will not be eligible to play again this season."
On Monday, head coach Jonathan Gannon said he was "not quite sure" if Benson would be activated or not this week, per Bo Brack of PHNX Cardinals.
This comes after Gannon wouldn't commit to Benson returning at all this season last week.
"RB Trey Benson won’t be activated yet. Gannon acknowledged he doesn’t know if Benson will return this season," Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com reported on Dec. 5.
Based on all the information we have, it doesn't look good for Benson. We'll get a definitive answer on his status for the rest of this season on Wednesday.
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