Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell may be nearing a return to the team. However, it appears Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis is more concerned with running back James Conner.

Conner has done an outstanding job as the Steelers' workhorse in the 2018 NFL season. According to Max Henson of the team's official website, Davis thinks people have forgotten about Bell:

“He’s making everybody around there forget about Le’Veon.”

Davis comments may seem a bit harsh, however, there is certainly plenty of truth to them. The failed negotiations between Bell and the Steelers have been one of the biggest headlines of the year. As a result, Conner's performance this year has been brought to the forefront.

There were serious concerns about the state of the backfield in Bell's absence this season. Fortunately, Conner has quickly erased any doubt having a viable replacement. He has registered 706 yards and nine touchdowns on 151 carries thus far. He has also flashed his versatility by hauling in 38 receptions for 379 yards and a touchdown. His production has raised questions regarding how vital Bell really was to this Steelers' offense.

Conner's spectacular 2018 campaign has undoubtedly hurt Bell's stock in free agency. However, there is still no denying the caliber of player he is. Considering that the latter has established himself as a household name, he is often the focal point of opposing defensive schemes. Meanwhile, Conner has the luxury of capitalizing on against defenses that are more fixated on containing the passing game with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Regardless, Pittsburgh will have a surplus of talent in the backfield whenever Bell does return. At that point, defenses will need to be concerned about trying to stop both.