Although the 2018 NFL season did not end the way the Pittsburgh Steelers may have wanted, they can take solace in the fact that they still have a viable running back in James Conner. It seems even Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller can attest to this.
There is no question that Conner is coming off a breakout season. According to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, Miller had high praise for his emergence this year:
“He’s great,” Miller said. “He’s a great player, he’s able to hit the holes the right way and take screens and catch the ball. Whatever it is, he’s a complete running back 100 percent.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Miller's comments. He ran for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with 55 catches for 497 yards and a touchdown despite missing three games due to injury. His spectacular outing was enough to earn him his first career trip to the Pro Bowl and some serious respect from Miller.
Conner's emergence could not have come at a better time for Pittsburgh. Prior to the 2018 campaign, there were countless headlines about running back Le'Veon Bell's contract negotiations. It soon became apparent that he would sit out the entire season due to failed negotiations which opened the door to a tremendous opportunity for Conner. He took full advantage by doing everything the Steelers asked of him and more.
Conner will continue to numb the pain of Bell's looming departure. Unfortunately, it is clear that the team still has some major restructuring to do this offseason. At this point, it is safe to assume that Conner may have to take on an even heavier workload moving forward.
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