James Conner gets in a full practice on Thursday.

James Conner looks like he'll be a full go against the 49ers on Sunday. He should see some elevated usage with Mason Rudolph taking over for the injured Ben Roethlisberger.

Steelers RB James Conner says he’s not sure if he’ll practice today but is confident he’ll be ready for Sunday vs. the 49ers.

It will be reassuring to see James Conner practice, but he does believe he'll be ready to go on Sunday against the 49ers. Jaylen Samuels could still see more work as the team could go conservative with Ben Roethlisberger out, but Conner would get the bulk of the work if he's healthy.

James Conner said during his show on 93.7 The Fan that he’s confident he will play Sunday.

The tweet went on to say that Conner said there are no tears or anything significant with his knee. It's not always safe to trust a player when he says he'll play, especially with a knee injury, but it's a positive sign his knee appeared to escape significant damage.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their starting quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger suffered an injury to his throwing arm toward the end of the first half against the Seattle Seahawks.

During the fourth quarter, running back James Conner limped off the field and went into the medical tent.

Related players: Mason Rudolph, Jaylen Samuels, Benny Snell Jr.

No update was given on either player the story said. Roethlisberger appeared to injure is right elbow. Conner appeared to be holding his left knee. He did not return with a knee injury. Rudolph would take over if Ben can't go Week 3, while Samuels and Snell would battle it out for touches in the backfield.

Jaylen Samuels isn't sure when or how he'll share the same backfield with James Conner on game days. Samuels just knows "little two-back sets" are going to happen at some point, and he can't wait to see it.

"I’m pretty sure it’s going to be something special put into the offense," Samuels said. "They will have us start off in the backfield or I can start out wide or motion out."

Feeling refreshed after knee and ankle injuries over the past two years, Conner is prepared for a workhorse role. Meanwhile, Samuels wants to show he's more than just a pass catcher. But as the story said, the Steelers typically have embraced the workhorse-back model. In Conner's rookie year, he was second on the team with 32 carries. Not a single No. 2 tailback surpassed 100 carries in a season when Bell played 12 or more games. Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman in 2012 comprised the team's last true split attack. DeAngelo Williams thrived when LeVeon Bell was out of the lineup but didn't play much when Bell was healthy.

A year after James Conner was the workhorse before getting injured, the Steelers added rookie Benny Snell and perceive a heartier role for pass-catching back Jaylen Samuels. Speaking with NFL Network for an interview that will air on NFL Total Access Monday night, Conner suggested he's preparing for a similar workload to last season.

"I'll have a similar role. I'm healthy, first and foremost, I'm 100 percent healthy now. We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Conner said of his workload this year.

Conner admitted there has been no deep discussion on his role this offseason, so he may only be speculating as rumblings out of Pittsburgh suggest spreading the ball around. As the story added, Tomlin has preferred his offense to use one back, and Conner proved last season he can be a dual threat. We think Conner is still deserving of a pick in the late first round, but his workload isn't a given right now.

James Conner is a workhorse. That’s what he is, what he does, what he is known for, what he is proud of and what he is good at.

But it might not be a part of his resume as early as Sept. 8, when the Steelers open the season in New England. And Conner’s OK with it especially if that leads to a healthy stretch run — something that alluded him in his Pro Bowl season last year.“The game has developed to the point where you have to use the skill set of your guys,” Faulkner said. “If you have guys who do something pretty well and you can use them to help your team and find ways to get them touches and balls, that’s what you have to do.”

That will mean finding opportunities for Jaylen Samuels, who is equally effective running and catching the ball, as well as fourth-round pick Benny Snell Jr.

Pittsburgh attempted the fewest rushes (21) per game of any NFL team last season. They averaged 22 more passes than runs per contest, and that was even when Conner was at full strength. It makes sense to utilize two strong backs, especially when health during the postseason is something potentially on the table. Conner should still see more carries than Samuels, but he'll likely lose some pass-down snaps in 2019.

Conner is currently being drafted as RB8, with Samuels and Snell leaving boards as RB43 and RB70 respectively.