According to The Athletic, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell Jr. may push for the starter's role when James Conner returns.

It is important to note that Bouchette's assertion came in the form of a reply to a 'mailbag' question. Bouchette opined that Snell could earn an expanded role if he continues to play well and Conner misses time. He would go on to state that while stealing the job outright from an injured starter is not unheard of, that he expects Conner to be the lead back upon his return. Bouchette would then add this: "If Conner is ineffective when he returns and Snell is clearly better, they’ll make the switch". This is potentially damning news for Conner's already tenuous fantasy value, as he is at his best in a high volume role. Snell is our 31st ranked running back for Week 2.

Steelers RB James Conner is not practicing Wednesday after suffering an ankle injury in Monday's game.

Conner only lasted a quarter before he suffered yet another injury that knocked him out for the rest of the night. Head Coach Mike Tomlin refused to shut the door on Conner playing in Week 2, but he seems like a longshot at this point. Benny Snell took over for Conner after the injury and looked great so it is possible Conner never reclaims the bellcow role he had going into the season.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to put his bell cow out to pasture this week.

Though they lost right tackle Zach Banner to a torn ACL in last night’s win over the Giants, Tomlin was more positive about the conditions of running back James Conner and offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski.

“Still in the process of getting scans on Wiz and James Conner, but I think their forecast is a more favorable one, so we’ll leave the light on for those two,” Tomlin said, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Related players: Benny Snell

Conner went down with an ankle injury, and replacement Snell ran 19 times for 113 yards. We had a report from The Athletic earlier Tuesday where the author feels Snell is the better back. But as expected, it looks like the Steelers are going to try and stick with Conner. Either way, Snell should probably be owned at least by Conner owners as a handcuff, and by anyone else as potential trade bait or lottery ticket. We'll continue to monitor Conner's progress this week.

People always have believed that when he’s 100 percent, James Conner is a much better back than Benny Snell. That might not be the case anymore. Conner was not good with a healthy ankle, tallying 9 yards on six carries with no explosiveness or speed. That was surprising because seeing him in camp for a month, the explosiveness and speed were there. Snell is just a better running back at this point, and I can’t see that changing. Snell is quicker than he was as a rookie — he dropped 12 pounds since last season — and that showed with a couple of long runs.

The story went on to say Snell is better than Conner, but HC Mike Tomlin has been hesitant to admit that with playing time. If that happens moving forward, it would be a mistake, the story said. Snell will likely be a popular pickup this week, especially for Conner owners. But for those who don't own Conner, it sounds like there is some potential here for Snell to take over this job if things continue on this path.

James Conner sustained a left ankle injury during the first half of Monday night's game against the Giants, ESPN's Maria Taylor reported during the second half. Conner, the Steelers' starting running back, was ruled as questionable to return to the game.

Related players: Benny Snell, Jaylen Samuels

Conner never came back leaving Snell to post over 100 yards rushing in the game. Conner gained just nine yards on six carries and caught two passes for eight yards before leaving the game. Snell, a 2019 fourth-round pick out of Kentucky, surpassed Samuels as Pittsburgh's No. 2 running back on the depth chart following training camp and looks like Snell is the handcuff to have for Conner owners.

HC Mike Tomlin says he'll discover the division of labor for RBs week in and week out. Says his room is diverse and he wants to utilize the diversity of talent. But - "there is no question about who our bell cow is. It's James Conner and he's our primary toter."

Related players: Benny Snell Jr., Anthony McFarland Jr., Jaylen Samuels

The big issue with Conner, of course, is staying healthy. Conner is ranked 15th on our RB list. The team drafted McFarland this past spring but have continued to say Conner is their guy. Most depth charts list Snell as the team's RB2, and given Conner's injury history, owning his handcuff probably isn't a bad idea.

Steelers RB James Conner (quad) will not play Sunday against the Ravens.

Conner did not practice all week and his chances were slim to none to actually suit up. The Steelers will go into their make-or-break game Sunday with Jaylen Samuels, Kerrith Whyte, Trey Edmunds and Benny Snell in the mix. Maurkice Pouncey also will not play with a knee injury.