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The situation between LeVeon Bell and the Steelers having become uglier by the day, it is clear that Bell will miss at least one game this season, if not more.
Although Bell plays a big role in the Steelers' attack, no one in Pittsburgh is currently panicking, and that's because the team is expecting a lot from the next man in the depth chart: James Conner, second year second holder.
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Conner is not a household name, but it will probably be after this week. Not only will it be the Steelers start Sunday in Cleveland, but he'll be the guy you want to hunt in your fantasy league if you've written Bell.
So who is James Conner?
Here are five things to know about the 23-year-old Steelers.
1. His rookie season ended with an injury
After being selected in the third round of 2017 NFL Draft, Conner did not see much action last season. Although he played 14 games, Conner carried the ball 32 times for 144 yards. The Steelers running back has missed the last two games of the season after tore his MCL in Week 15.
However, Conner definitely seems to be above this injury. According to Pro Football Focus, in the preseason 2018, Conner finished top of the race in the NFL.
Conner finished the pre-season with 19 runs for 100 yards. The biggest offensive halfback match took place during the second week of the pre-season against the Packers when he carried the ball five times for 57 yards. Not only did he averaged 11.4 yards per run, he also scored in a 26-yard touchdown in a 51-34 loss.
2. He feels no pressure this week
When the Steelers take command Sunday in Cleveland, all eyes will be turned to Conner, most people wondering if he will replace Bell or not. Although this seems to be a pressure for a second year in a row, Conner said this week that he felt no further pressure.
"[People] are not in my shoes. They may think it's pressure, but for me, it's just football and doing my job, "Conner said via ESPN.com. We came here from 8 to 5 hours. It's just my job. The outside world thinks it's the pressure, but it's just football. It's always like that. "
Conner does not care how many times he touches the ball against the Browns as his team returns with the win.
"No pressure on me," said Conner. "A lot of people are waiting to see how my performance will be and as long as we win, I'm cool."
Conner's biggest match in 2017 came in Week 4, when he gained 26 yards on a 26-9 win over the Ravens. As a starter on Sunday, there's a good chance he's passing the mark in the first half or even the first quarter.
3. The team believes in him
Although The & # 39; Veon Bell plays a big role in the Steelers attack, Maurkice Pouncey does not expect the team to miss a beat with Bell and Conner. In fact, Pouncey says that Conner would have been a first round pick who would not have had cancer at the university.
"One star was born every year in the NFL – did anyone know that Kareem Hunt would be an All-Pro before last season?" If James Conner did not have cancer, he would have been a first round choice"Said Pouncey this week, via NFL.com." Just watch it. "
The reason Conner feels no pressure is probably because he knows his team believes in him.
4. It comes a lot cheaper than Bell
If Conner ends up having a huge game against the Browns, that's good news for the Steelers and bad news for Bell. Even if no one expects Bell to return to Pittsburgh in 2019, it certainly will not happen if Conner becomes a star. As it stands, the Steelers are under contract for three years at $ 578,000 (2018), $ 668,000 (2019) and $ 758,000 (2020). This triennial total of $ 2,004 million is more than seven times lower than the $ 14.54 million salary for 2018 for The Veon Bell.
Not only is Conner cheaper, but the Steelers attack could actually be more successful with him in the lineup instead of Bell.
In 2015, the Steelers' offense seemed to work, although Bell missed 10 games during the season.
5. Cancer survivor and local hero
With Bell, there's a good chance everyone in Pittsburgh wants Conner to succeed, because it's a fantastic story. Not only is he a local hero, but he survived a fight against Hodgkin's lymphoma after being diagnosed in December 2015 while he was dating Pitt.
"When I heard those words -" You have cancer "- I confess that I was scared," said Conner in a school outing at that time. "But having thought about it a bit, I realized that fear is a choice, I choose not to fear cancer, I choose to fight and I will win."
Five months after his diagnosis, Conner received a clean condition in May 2016. During his absence from football, he underwent chemotherapy treatment that helped him win his battle.
Basically, with the release of Bell, Conner is going to be an easy guy for NFL fans across the country.
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