James Conner missed three weeks with an ankle sprain last season. Like most players, he returned to the lineup despite being less than 100%. Given how critical a game it was, the Week 17 finale was a must win against the Cincinnati Bengals, he did all he could to give the Steelers a chance to make the playoffs.
Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner admitted as such in his media scrum earlier this week, responding to a question about Conner’s durability.
“I thought when he did come back, he was strong and fought through because he was still hurt,” he told reporters via the team website.