ORLANDO — The juxtaposition is hard to ignore.
While one Pittsburgh Steelers tailback signed hundreds of autographs and posed with Jim Kelly at the Pro Bowl, the other continued to wait for 2019 free agency amid a bitter divorce from the team.
But James Conner doesn’t exactly feel settled. His 13 touchdowns in 13 games in his first full season as a starter won’t make him ease up. Nor will Le’Veon Bell‘s yearlong holdout, which makes Bell likely too caustic for a locker room return.
In efforts to keep the edge that got him this far, Conner will enter his third season with the hunger of a rookie looking for a job.
“You’ve got to earn it every day,” he said in late December when asked if he’s the tailback of the Steelers’ future. “It’s never enough when you think you’ve done enough. That’s when you start to get on the decline. … You’ve got to earn it every day, practice hard and show you belong. I definitely don’t feel like I’ve done enough yet.”
That’s exactly what the Steelers like to hear, but Conner is selling himself a bit short. From teammates up to ownership, the Steelers have praised Conner’s development in a sophomore season that included 973 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs and an AFC Offensive Player of the Month award. Conner added 55 catches for 497 yards in a Steelers offense that relied heavily on the back for easy yardage off dump-offs.
A player who struggled with conditioning and blitz pickups as a rookie was more than ready when he showed up for his second training camp.
Center Maurkice Pouncey didn’t hesitate when asked if Conner has done enough to earn the starting job full-time.
“One thousand percent,” Pouncey said. “He’s missed a few games, but his numbers are outstanding. Overall, he’s done everything we’ve asked as far as blocking lanes, picking up blitzes, chipping, running the ball and hitting the right hole. He did a lot of great things. Not that he doesn’t have room to grow, but he’s earned the respect, and he’ll definitely be the No. 1 back.”
It’s not that Conner hasn’t enjoyed the journey. He savored the moment of his first Pro Bowl, the culmination of what he calls a “fun ride.” The Steelers needed to look no further than the sideline of the Pro Bowl practice fields at Disney’s Wide World of Sports on Thursday, when Conner and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took selfies with fans in the same row while linebacker T.J. Watt conducted interviews nearby. Three of the team’s top draft picks from 2017 are now All-Stars.
After surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Pitt to captivate college football, only to outplay his third-round billing, Conner doesn’t overlook his impact on others.
“Did a little reflecting. Pro Bowl is a big honor, just from everything I’ve overcome,” Conner said. “It’s an honor, really, to be a Pro Bowler. From where I’ve come from, being drafted late, overcoming surgeries and diagnosis and things like that. Everybody’s got their own story. I’m just trying to add to mine. It’s cool to be an inspiration to others.”
Conner said he has “no clue” whether Bell will return to the Steelers and said he hopes Antonio Brown, who’s on the trading block, will be back in the lineup. Either way, the Steelers’ roster will have a new identity in 2019 featuring Conner and sure-handed backup Jaylen Samuels in the offense.
The Steelers will continue supporting Conner, Pouncey said, because of his humility. He works more than he talks, which makes the linemen want to talk for him.
Don’t be surprised if Conner stays relatively quiet as he turns his goals from being a Pro Bowler to being a Super Bowl champion.
He’ll map that out by embracing the NFL’s cold reality.
“Nothing’s promised. They [teams] are always looking for someone to replace you,” Conner said.