With Le'Veon Bell now out of the picture, James Conner is now the unquestioned top dog at running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2019 campaign.
Conner seems ready to prove himself.
Definitely gotta earn it this year. I can’t wait. Let’s play ball.
— James Conner (@JamesConner_) March 13, 2019
Conner played in 13 games this past season, battling injuries later in the year. He ended up rushing for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. In addition, he hauled in 55 receptions for 497 yards and a score en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Due to Bell holding out for the entire 2018 campaign, Conner received an opportunity to be the lead back, which he clearly took full advantage of.
The 23-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh, was originally selected by the Steelers in the third round (105th pick overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Given that Conner grew up in Erie, Pa., playing for the Steelers was obviously a dream come true.
With Bell leading the way in 2017, Conner, who is also a cancer survivor, had a quiet rookie campaign, rushing for 144 yards on 32 carries. But, this past season, he showed his potential and demonstrated that Pittsburgh might not miss Bell too much after all going into next year.
The Steelers are coming off of a 2018 campaign in which they went 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. It also marked the first time in five years that Pittsburgh did not record a double-digit win season, with the Steelers topping out at 13 wins in 2017.
Pittsburgh had won three of the previous four AFC North division titles before the Baltimore Ravens won the crown this past season.
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