Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner suffered a knee injury that will end his season. The Arizona Cardinals running back and Pitt product first suffered the injury in Week 16 but battled through the injury leading up to Week 17. He aggravated the injury, however, and the Cardinals decided to shut him down for the season. Conner will have played in 16 of 17 games after earning a contract extension with the team.
Conner will finish the season with 1094 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while adding an additional 414 yards through the air. He has shown that despite early injuries in his career, he has longevity.
Conner signed a new two-year, $19 million extension in November. He has been with the Cardinals since 2021 when he left the Steelers. Pittsburgh decided to draft Najee Harris.
Conner’s issue in Pittsburgh was never performance but injuries. In Arizona, he has avoided major injuries and played at a high level for them. That includes a Pro Bowl appearance.
He has amassed over 5000 rushing yards and continues to be a workhorse for the Cardinals out of the backfield. Conner has over 8000 yards from scrimmage in his career.
Drafted by the Steelers in the third round out of Pitt in the 2017 NFL Draft, Conner took over for All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell once Bell held out and decided to head to the New York Jets. He played well, becoming the top back for the Steelers, but injuries remained an issue for Conner.
