Steelers RB James Conner out with sprained left ankle
The Pittsburgh Steelers will head to Oakland without running back James Conner.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Conner is dealing with a sprained left ankle and will not play when the AFC North leaders take on the last-place Raiders. Conner, who is second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (12) and fifth in yards rushing (909), suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of a 33-30 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The team initially believed Conner was dealing with a leg contusion, but said the injury turned out to be more serious than originally thought.
The Steelers (7-4-1) will turn to Stevan Ridley and rookie Jaylen Samuels when they face the Raiders. Ridley, an eight-year veteran, has 56 yards on 18 carries this season. Samuels, a fifth-round pick, has seen his playing time increase of late as the primary option of relieving Conner. Samuels has 12 carries for 31 yards this season and has proven to be a capable receiver out of the backfield. Samuels has seven
receptions for 54 yards, including a game-tying 10-yard catchand-run late in the fourth quarter against the Chargers shortly after Conner went down.
“We’ve got a great deal of confidence in Ridley, got a great deal of confidence in Jaylen, particularly in Jaylen, who has been on the rise last couple weeks,” Tomlin said. Tomlin said the team is planning on taking a committee approach
to the running game while Conner is out, but didn’t rule out turning to one back. Pittsburgh addressed the depth issue presented by Conner’s injury by promoting Trey Edmunds from the practice squad. Edmunds’ younger brother, Terrell, is a rookie safety for Pittsburgh. Tomlin expected Trey Edmunds to be available for work on special teams.