Steelers running back James Conner is in concussion protocol, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports. If Conner is not cleared in the next week or so, his availability against the Jaguars on Nov. 18 could be in jeopardy. 
Conner was forced out of Thursday night’s blowout win over the Panthers. During the third quarter, doctors checked out Conner in the blue medical tent and cleared him to return. Then, in the fourth quarter, he was pulled for good with the Steelers leading by 38. Conner checked out with 65 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and the Steelers went on tow in 52-21.
Conner has 771 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the season and the club has hardly missed Le’Veon Bell. Some have speculated that the Steelers do not want Bell to return before Tuesday’s deadline, but they’ll want him back on the field if Conner is sidelined for any period of time.
Bell has been spotted playing basketball in a Pittsburgh gym, so he won’t have to travel far in order to report to the team’s facility. However, Bell only recently learned that he does not have to show up by Tuesday in order to effectively guarantee that he’ll be a free agent in March, and it’s possible that he could sit out for the entire year. For what it’s worth, team ownership expects Bell to show up for work.
Hope he shows up then sits and watch Connor the rest of the way.
According to sources
Bell literally jumped off his barstool when he saw Connor getting checked out yelling “Hi hi, hi ho, it’s back to work I go”
These sources must have missed the sources who are saying he planned on sitting out for as long as possible to keep his body from getting overused. Which is his right, but you also have a contract to play football. Pretty sure most of our bosses wouldn’t keep us if we said that.
It’s Le’Veon Bell’s right to sit out a season. He’s not getting paid for his time off. And yes, a running back’s doy will recuperate better with more like a year off than six months. Even the NFL official draft profiles talk about “tread left on the tires” even about college running backs.
When you thought this saga couldn’t get crazier
Media frenzy increases because they want to see the drama of Bell going back to the Steelers. Conner will be fine.
Conner will be ok. Bell, if he reports, will be the 3rd WR for the rest of the year.
The in game handling of blows to the head is still a farce with the NFL using the Dr. Seuss “one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish” approach. One has to wonder if Conner would have been pulled in the final quarter had the game outcome been in doubt.
Completely agree with your opinion. Kind of odd how all the comments are about Bell and not about the fact that a player was put back into the game with a concussion. There should be more concern with that and not this whole Bell drama.