Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner will miss his third straight game after being ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
The Steelers announced on Friday that Conner will not be available to play in New Orleans in their penultimate game of the regular season.
Conner has been sidelined since he sprained his ankle against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 2.
The Steelers were reportedly optimistic he would be able to return in Week 16 after practicing on December 14, but Conner did not practice at all this week.
Conner told reporters this week he still is not 100 per cent and likely would need more time to recover.
“I’m trying, man. It’s day by day,” Conner said. “These high ankle sprains are deceiving. I can walk around fine, not limping around, but when I’m out there on the field, cutting and stuff, not ready yet.
“It’s a reason why we keep [three backs] on the team. We’ve seen Jaylen [Samuels] and [Stevan] Ridley. They are capable. I want to go, but if I’m not feeling like me, I wouldn’t be James Conner and go out there less than ready.”
Conner has had a significant impact on the Steelers’ offense in Le’Veon Bell’s absence amid his contract holdout. The second-year rusher has logged 909 rushing yards and 467 receiving yards for 13 total touchdowns. However, his injury has left a void in Pittsburgh’s backfield.
Samuels and Ridley carried a heavier workload the past two games. Samuels rushed for 142 yards on 19 carries in Week 15’s 17-10 win over the New England Patriots.
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