James Conner Returns from Ankle Injury for Steelers vs. Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner is ready to return from his ankle injury for the regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the team announced.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport first reported Conner was expected to play.

Considering the Steelers are without Antonio Brown, who is dealing with a knee injury, Conner's return will provide a major boost for both the rushing and passing attack.

The Steelers enter Sunday's contest needing to win to stay alive in the playoff race as they still have a chance to top the AFC North or land the final spot in the AFC playoffs.

"The Steelers clinch the AFC North with a win over the Bengals and a Ravens loss to or tie with the Browns. The Steelers can still be a wild-card, if they beat the Bengals and the Colts and Titans tie," according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. 

A third-round pick in 2017, the 23-year-old was in the midst of a breakout season filling in for Le'Veon Bell when he sprained his ankle against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 2. He was named to the Pro Bowl on Dec. 18 but has not played since injuring the ankle. 

Conner had been proving he was more than capable of replacing the three-time Pro Bowler. The second-year back had piled up 909 rushing yards, 467 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns through the first 12 games.

In fact, he was putting up numbers not even Bell had accumulated before. Per NFL Research, Conner became the first Steeler since 1950 to find the end zone 10 times through the first eight games of a season.

That's some serious production to replace.

Bell's absence and Conner's injury tested Pittsburgh's running back depth in terms of consistency. The team has relied on rookie Jaylen Samuels and veteran Stevan Ridley to carry the load in the backfield. Samuels isn't the same threat Conner represents, but he performed well against the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The Steelers should be able to rely on him again should Conner need to rest against the Bengals on Sunday.