To the leaders in the Cardinals' locker room, how a player handles their return to the practice squad is something they notice.
"If it were to happen, don't come back the next morning with a little animosity," left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. said about any player returning. "You have to be ready because if you come back with that bad taste, good, that makes sense, but it better be 'I'm continuing to work, continuing to grind.' You can't get back and sit there with your head tucked, and then when it's your time to shine, somebody else is going to get it over you because you weren't ready and continued pouting."
Johnson said he has noticed players in the past that have pouted. Gannon said Carter wasn't one of those guys. Carter proved that at the end of the season when he was elevated to the active roster and made multiple plays in games against the Panthers, Rams and 49ers.
"He loves ball, he loves to compete, loves to practice, and he always has a smile on his face," Gannon said. "He'll do whatever you tell him to do. He's a really good teammate and he's a guy that throughout his career, and specifically the time that he's been here with us, is he maximizes his opportunities."
Carter finds himself in a loaded running back room headlined by James Conner and Benson. Add Dallas for his special teams skillset and Emari Demercado as a blocking back who can generate an explosive, and Carter finds himself in the same scenario as he was in this time last season.
Which makes Saturday's outing important. With most of the starters and key contributors on the sidelines, Carter will suit up and play, like many of his teammates fighting for their roster lives. Some will be around, some will be on the practice squad, some will look to find a spot elsewhere in the NFL.
In Carter's mind, the other 31 teams aren't his focus. He said he's a Cardinal and can't think about being something else. With his confidence alive, he's ready to show why he belongs among the 53.
"It's tough to be on the practice squad because I know I'm good enough to play football every Sunday, Monday, Thursday night, whatever it is," Carter said. "I made plenty of plays, so I don't question am I good enough anymore. I question how do I get to the next level where I don't have to deal with that anymore, and then (getting) to the next level, and then the next level, whatever that may be."