Cardinals Swipe RB from Vikings Roster
It’s the nature of the beast in the NFL, and it has happened again to the Minnesota Vikings. The Arizona Cardinals plucked running back Corey Kiner from the purple practice squad, and Kiner will now live on Jonathan Gannon’s active roster.
The Arizona Cardinals swiped a running back from the Minnesota Vikings roster, creating a late-week depth change that forces quick adjustments.
Kiner could actually see a little run to finish the 2025 season.
Vikings RB Corey Kiner Stolen by Cardinals
A practice squad pilfer in Week 14.
Kiner to ARI
Arizona wasn’t shy this week about improving its RB depth. NBC Sports‘ Charean Williams wrote, “The Cardinals added a running back to the roster on Tuesday, signing Corey Kiner off the Vikings’ practice squad. They also announced the release of running back Jermar Jefferson in a corresponding move.”
“Kiner, a rookie out of the University of Cincinnati, was with the 49ers in the preseason before signing with Minnesota in late September. The Cardinals released two other running backs from the practice squad, cutting Sincere McCormick and Montrell Johnson Jr.”
Kiner had spent a few months on Minnesota’s practice squad, a move initially finagled by the Vikings after Ty Chandler landed on injured reserve.
The Cardinals’ Modified RB Room
As the Cardinals conducted quite a bit of late-season maintenance on the RB group, here’s the updated bunch as of December 3rd:
- Trey Benson (IR)
- Bam Knight
- Emari Demercado
- Michael Carter
- Corey Kiner
- James Conner (IR, Season-ending)
Kiner might get a look in a regular season game if Benson’s IR stint were to drag on or if another tailback fell victim to injury.
Kiner’s Biography
If you’re new to Kiner, here’s the rundown. He played with Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. at Cincinnati and checks in at 5’9 and 210 pounds. He stacked two productive seasons for the Bearcats in 2023 and 2024, including 1,153 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns as a senior.
Kiner ran a 4.57, not a standout number for a running back, and he offered minimal receiving production.
His profile mirrors Alexander Mattison’s style — downhill, sturdy, straight-line — for those who remember Mattison’s better stretches in Minnesota. Kiner turns 24 in January and entered the league as an undrafted free agent last April. The Consensus Big Board slotted him at No. 281 for the 2025 NFL Draft, just ahead of Vikings guard Joe Huber (No. 283) and slightly behind Patriots receiver Efton Chism (No. 282).
Trey Benson’s Status?
Benson should be back any day — an important return for fantasy football managers who have playoffs around the bend.
Pro Football Network‘s Adam Hulse noted this week, “Benson had his 21-day practice window opened by the Cardinals on November 19, suggesting he is nearing his return from a knee injury. The franchise will need to activate for one of their next two games, or his season is officially over.”
“This means that he has a strong chance of playing in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. Paul Charchian recently gave his take on the situation in response to Cardinals reporter Bo Brack sharing that the team has waived running back Jermar Jefferson. This could indicate their intentions for the position this week.”
Ironically, Kiner’s addition to the active roster may mean that Benson is on his way back, not the other way around. Arizona cleared out McCormick, Jefferson, and Johnson Jr., suggesting Benson and Kiner are the RB pieces for Weeks 14 through 18.
Cardinals in Latest Power Rankings
Eric Edholm of NFL.com called the Arizona the league’s seventh-worst team entering Week 14.
He defended the placement: “That’s now seven straight losses in one-score games for the Cardinals, who can move the ball but have trouble getting into the end zone. Over its past eight games, Arizona is averaging 370.6 yards — only six teams have averaged more per game on the whole season — but just 22.9 points.”
“Two Cardinals turnovers in Tampa territory and a missed field-goal try put the game firmly in the Bucs’ hands. The Cards tried to rally but were undone by two fourth-quarter turnovers on downs. I’m not sure what this offense will look like next season, much less who’ll be playing quarterback, but no matter what, this franchise might try to find ways to finish off drives and games. Arizona has been outscored by 40 points in the fourth quarter this season.”
Kiner will turn 24 next month.
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