It's a big season for James Conner for a number of reasons.
First, he wants to put what became a season to forget behind him after missing most of the second half of 2019 with injuries.
Second, he wants to put together a strong 2020 campaign as he plays out the final season of his rookie contract.
Finally, he wants to show that the Steelers' faith in him as their lead running back wasn't misguided.
Make no mistake, if Conner takes care of that third part, the rest will handle itself.
Throughout the offseason, from Mike Tomlin to Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' front office and coaching staff made it known that they believe in Conner, a Pro Bowl performer in 2018. The team didn't select a running back until taking Maryland's Anthony McFarland in the fourth round of the draft. It didn't bring in a veteran running back who would compete with Conner for time in the backfield, with the lone veteran added being third-down back Wendell Smallwood just a couple of weeks ago.
The Steelers have been adamant that Conner is their lead running back. Now, it sits on Conner's shoulders to prove the team was correct in that assessment.
"I don't really pay attention to what anybody says," Conner said Wednesday as the Steelers continued their training camp at Heinz Field. "As long as the people who make the important decisions believe in me, that's all that matters. The ones who make the important decisions believe in me. I believe in myself. I'll leave it at that."
That belief in himself is why Conner, a cancer survivor, never considered not playing football in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conner had Hodgkins lymphoma in college at Pitt, but recovered to play his final season for the Panthers. The chemotherapy sessions can tap the immune system. And while other cancer survivors around the league opted to not play this season, it was never a question for Conner that he was going to play football.
"I'm going on four years now removed from cancer," Conner said. "I didn't really have to talk to my family. It was never a concern for me. I've been healthy for years now. It was an easy decision for me. I never really gave much thought to it. I'm healthy and my immune system is back healthy. I'm not worried."
He might not be worried about COVID-19, but the Steelers' running game is a major concern heading into the 2020 season. With Conner sidelined most of the second half of last season because of a shoulder injury and Ben Roethlisberger not under center to keep opposing teams honest, the Steelers ranked 30th in the NFL running the ball.
Conner had a season-high 23 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown in a Week 7 win over the Dolphins, but injured his shoulder on his final carry in that game. From that point on, he had 18 carries for 84 yards and caught five passes for another 15 yards. He scored one touchdown in the second half of the season.
Even in the three games he played, he clearly was not himself, pulling himself out in losses to the Browns, Bills and Jets.
There was a feeling that he rushed things to get himself back onto the field.
"Yeah, he definitely wants to be out there," running backs coach Eddie Faulkner said Wednesday. "I'm no doctor, so I can't say whether he came back too early or not. He's the one that has to make that call with his body. I do know the type of person he is. He's always going to be champing at the bit to get back out there. So, as a coach on that end, it's something you have to monitor and have that communication that he's taking the proper precautions."
Conner worked hard this offseason -- as he always does -- to continue to strengthen his body for the grind of the NFL season.
But he's been injured in each of his previous three seasons with the Steelers. As a rookie, he was the primary backup to Le'Veon Bell, but ankle, shoulder and knee injuries limited his availability. He took over for Bell in 2018, rushing for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns while also catching 55 passes for nearly 500 more yards and another score, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. But he missed three games that season because of injuries. And last season, he managed just 464 rushing yards in 10 games.
"I just worked hard. That's all there is to it," Conner said of his offseason. "You just have a work ethic. Every year, you attack it, give it all you've got in the offseason to prepare. It's the game of football. Injuries are going to happen."
For a player who could hit the free agent market in the offseason in what could very well be a very crowded free-agent running back market, re-establishing himself in 2020 is a must. The 2021 free-agent market could include Todd Gurley, Joe Mixon, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Leonard Fournette, Matt Breida and Kenyan Drake — all have contracts that expire at the end of the 2020 season.
If Conner is going to show that he deserves a contract at the end of this season -- either from the Steelers or someone else -- not only playing, but playing well, is a must.
If that happens, both the Steelers and Conner will reap the benefits.
"I just feel like guys are excited to be back. Nobody on our team opted out," Conner said. "We just were excited to get back. It's been a long offseason. Everybody on this team loves football and we love being around each other. We can't do anything about last year, so we're just looking forward to this year."
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