This Surprise Position Battle Could Define Steelers Training Camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be running the ball more than they have in years prior, as Ben Roethlisberger’s age and declining health inadvertently placed more of a necessity on the ground game.

James Conner might be the starting running back in name at this point in time, but his own injury history and increased competition in the backfield will make the race for the RB1 job one to watch in Pittsburgh.

Conner tallied just 46.4 yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry last year, both of which are steep declines from his Pro Bowl year in 2018. With a 220-pound bowling ball in Benny Snell already on the roster, Kevin Colbert decided to add Maryland speedster Anthony McFarland to complete a potential three-headed monster in the backfield. Even players like Trey Edmunds and Kerrith Whyte played well when called upon.

Conner needs to understand that he is fighting for his job, as the Steelers could easily let the injury-prone back leave in free agency if he either fails to impress in 2020, suffers another injury, or gets leapfrogged on the depth chart by McFarland and/or Snell.

With Roethlisberger starting to get a little long in the tooth, Pittsburgh’s offense will need to rely more heavily on the run than it has since Le’Veon Bell’s prime. If Conner proves that he's not up to the task, the Steelers have the necessary depth to make do, and we'll see that on full display in training camp.