4 reasons the Steelers will need a new starting RB in 2021
By Andrew Falce
Conner won’t be back
Just to clear this up, Conner has almost no chance of returning next season on a new contract unless he is willing to take a contract at or slightly above the minimum. While he has an injury history, he is certainly worth more than a million dollars a year. In fact, Spotrac has his average yearly salary estimated at 4.7 million dollars.
While the story of him being both a local kid and a cancer survivor is inspiring, to say the least, the Steelers won’t be able to afford him. That isn’t to say he doesn’t deserve that kind of money, he does, because when healthy, he is one of the better complete backs in the league. He is a powerful rusher that can catch the ball well and is a good pass blocker in the backfield. Yes, injuries are an issue, but he is still a complete back when healthy.
The fact is the Steelers won’t have enough money to go around next offseason. Even if the cap remains at the number it was last offseason, the Steelers will still be strapped for money. With big names like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Bud Dupree, and Alejandro Villanueva all set to hit free agency, the Steelers will have quite priorities ahead of Conner. While he would be the favorite to start if he found his way back, it seems more than likely that Conner is on a new team next year.