Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back James Conner will undergo knee surgery, likely ending his first season in the National Football League.

At the time of this writing, the exact timetable for his return is not yet known.

The rookie was injured on a 2-yard run with 9:54 left in the fourth quarter.

For the year, the third-round pick out of Pitt has 144 yards and zero touchdowns on 32 carries.

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James Conner is an easy guy to root for. While in college with the Pittsburgh Panthers, Conner was diagnosed with having cancer. Despite that, he overcame the disease to make it to the National Football League.

While not exactly getting a ton of touches in his first pro season, Conner was a nice change-of-pace back for the Steelers. A bruising running style, coupled with an underrated ability to pick up pass rushers, Conner has a bright future in the NFL.

Even though Pittsburgh relies mostly on Le'Veon Bell to play nearly every down, don't be shocked if the Steelers turn to free agency to find a running back to fill Conner's void.

With the playoffs quickly approaching, Pittsburgh is coming off a heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots, in which the non-catch heard around the world took place.