James Conner’s deal with the Arizona Cardinals is a fully guaranteed one-year deal for 1.25 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The report also states that the contract includes a $500,000 signing bonus.
The financial terms of Conner’s deal with the Cardinals will surely make some Steelers fans feel Pittsburgh should have brought back the local favorite.
Even though Conner was never able to achieve 1,000 yards in a season or claim the title of featured back during his 4 seasons with the Steelers, his production will still be difficult to replace. The Steelers current group of running backs include Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, Jaylen Samuels, Kalen Ballage and Trey Edmunds. This is a crop of backs that lacks experience and a proven track record of success.
Conner rushed for 721 yards on 169 carries for the Steelers in 2020, exactly mimicking his career average of 4.3 yards per carry.
In four seasons with the Steelers after joining the team as a third-round pick in 2017 NFL Draft, he rushed for 2,302 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The Pitt product was named to his first and only Pro Bowl in 2018, but he saw his production drop significantly over the last two seasons due to a combination of injuries and poor offensive line play. Conner rushed for 721 yards and six scores with the Steelers in 2020.
Conner, who will now be playing for a non Pennsylvania team for the first time ever, expressed his true love for Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh fans with a long message on social media.