James Conner Fantasy: Steelers RB Will Not Miss Any Time

Getty Images Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner heads into concussion protocol on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers put a beatdown on the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football. The game started off hot, with what looked like a potential back-and-forth shootout, but it ultimately resulted in a complete blowout by the Steelers. The usual suspects on offense went off. Guys like Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and James Conner all had themselves a night as everybody found the end zone.

Unfortunately, though, it may come with a price to pay for Conner. The Steelers second-year running back left out of the game with a concussion later on in the second half. He didn’t have a monstrous game on Thursday, but his 13 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown are sure to make his fantasy owners happy.

The Steelers had to play the waiting game in order to find out the results of his injury later on down the line. He headed to the locker room during the game to get evaluated, but he wouldn’t be cleared to return. Even if he was cleared, there’s no chance that he would’ve gotten back into the game as the Steelers are dominating their opponents.

Is This Something to Worry About?

James Conner fantasy owners shouldn’t freak out. Concussion protocol is standard no matter what happens. Even a slight hit to the head can cause players to have to go through the protocol. And also if Conner is diagnosed with a concussion, the timeline for his injury most likely wouldn’t be anything too crazy.

Since his injury occurred on Thursday Night Football, the Steelers will have an extra long week heading into week ten. That will give Conner and the rest of the team plenty of time to make a recovery before next week’s game.

There’s good news regarding Conner’s injury being reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. According to the NFL insider, Conner is expected to play next week as the Steelers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although Conner is still in concussion protocol, he doesn’t likely miss any game time moving forward.

Just in case you want to play it safe though, you can pick up Jaylen Samuels, who is listed as No. 2 on the depth chart. As long as Le’Veon Bell is sitting out, he won’t be the team’s insurance policy. But no worries, we’re sure Conner is going to be just fine.