Pittsburgh Steelers head into bye week with looming question

Le’Veon Bell is back, maybe. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still wondering when their Pro Bowl running back will return to the field, but his eventual return leaves questions that need to be answered.

James Conner has earned his place in the Steelers’ backfield. The second-year back needed one season to develop into the NFL’s game, but he’s proven he’s a starter in this league. Le’Veon Bell is an All-Pro player, but his return to Pittsburgh next season has evaporated. Leaving one lingering question – what are they going to do with two running backs?

Neither player can sit on the bench. Removing Conner or Bell from the gameplan is eliminating a significant part of the offense. If the Steelers choose to keep both until the upcoming offseason, they’ll need to corporate them both into the offensive scheme.

A two-back styled offense could work. Conner’s improve pass catching makes him a threat through the air. Bell already reigns as one of the elite pass catching backs in the history of the league. With a remaining thought of either of them running the ball, all eyes would need to remain on the Steelers’ backfield on every down.

Then, there’s the thought of trading Bell. Conner has proven he can be an every down runner. Bell may be the more talented of the two, but chances are he’ll earn his money and move on from the Steelers next spring.

Bell is worth all the money he’s searching for. Therefore, there is valuable exchange in the worth of Le’Veon Bell. The NFL remains a business amongst anything, and receiving something for Bell, with the security of Conner still in the backfield, is a smarter option than letting him walk for nothing.

Pittsburgh riding a winning streak into the bye week somewhat removes the immediate need of “Le’Veon Bell saving the Steelers.” This team doesn’t need to be saved, right now. The defense is clicking, outside of Artie Burns, and you can’t remove the idea that Ben Roethlsiebrger is still a top tier quarterback, but age is catching up on how quickly he can start the season.

It eventually comes down to how dominant they want to be this season. Or, if they want to even risk changing things that are already working. A question that’s lifespan is only two weeks from vanishment.