Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 2

1. James Conner

Throughout the offseason, much of the talk about the Steelers has been about running back Le’Veon Bell. As everyone knows by this point, the team and the star back failed to reach a long-term contract, and he’ll play on the franchise tag this season. Consequently, the writing on the wall seems to be that his time in Pittsburgh might come to an end after the 2018 season. While that may be so, James Conner is trying to make a case that the group will be just fine should Bell leave after 2018.

Conner has impressed throughout his time with the Steelers with sporadic work, and he continued that trend on Thursday night against the Packers. The former Pitt Panther only got five carries of work on the night, but he took those five carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 26-yard scamper. He showed why the Steelers, when Bell’s future seemed much more certain, were confident enough in his abilities to select him in the third round of last year’s draft.

Expecting Conner to be the player that Bell has been for this team is a tall ask. Put simply, he doesn’t provide what Bell does as a receiving option out of the backfield. However, he’s continuing to show that he can be a force on the ground. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry in limited work in Week 1 of the preseason and then had this showing. Though the conversation around Bell remains somewhat disconcerting, Conner is doing all he can to solidify the future at the position.