Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ross D Franklin/AP/Shutterstock (13494304a) Arizona Cardinals running back Eno Benjamin goes out for a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the second half of an NFL football game, in Glendale, Ariz Saints Cardinals Football, Glendale, United States – 20 Oct 2022
Texans claim RB Eno Benjamin off waivers from Cardinals
Benjamin was waived by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.
On Tuesday, the Houston Texans announced they had been awarded RB Eno Benjamin off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals.
Benjamin, 23, is in his second season in the NFL after being a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by Arizona out of Arizona State. On the season, Benjamin has 70 carries for 299 yards (4.3 YPC) and a pair of touchdowns. He also has 24 receptions for 184 yards (7.7 YPC).
The Cardinals had been very happy with Benjamin going back to the offseason, and he filled in well for starting RB James Conner over a three-game stretch but saw his playing time essentially reduced to nothing with Conner’s return.
There are rumors that Benjamin got into a confrontation with an assistant coach following the Cardinals’ win over the Rams Sunday, a game in which he only played one offensive snap. It would appear his release was not performance related.
Benjamin’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, denied reports of an altercation between Benjamin and an assistant coach after the game Sunday.
Benjamin was a fan favorite in Arizona thanks to his ties to ASU, and solid performance earning him the backup job to Conner. Benjamin is averaging a half-yard more per carry than Conner this season and is making only $900k. He is still on his rookie deal and under contract for two more seasons. His original deal was four years at $3.4 million per Spotrac.com.
The Texans also added two players to the practice squad: WR Alex Bachman and DB Will Redmond.
Bachman, 26, is a six-foot, 190-pound wide receiver with one career reception.
Redmond, 28, is a 5’11”, 186-pound defensive back that has played in 34 games in his career with 65 total tackles.
The Texans also announced they had released WR Michael Young from the practice squad, and waived DB Isaac Yiadom.