James Conner was hurt last week. According to Mike Tomlin, Conner's injury was not "major at all." But there is still reason for concern. The current No. 2 back is Jaylen Samuels, a rookie who hasn't seen much playing time at all. He offers some receiving ability but struggles mightily running between the tackles. And after that is veteran Stevan Ridley. Ridley offers little upside, though he is a decent power back. The Steelers have seem to lost all confidence in him, though, and he has seen even less snaps than Samuels this season. Ryan Switzer is a WR, but he does offer the ability to run routes of the backfield, and Randy Fichtner has given him a few snaps there. He could be semi-decent in a rotation, bot not-at-all a long-term solution. If Conner gets hurt again, the Steelers could be put in a bad spot. No DeAngelo Williams to save 'em this time. The Steelers have the capabilities to make a move, and former Carolina Panther and Denver Bronco CJ Anderson seems to be the best option on the market.
C.J. was heavily out-snapped by Christian McCaffrey this year, but McCaffrey is a top-tier back in the NFL. If it comes down to Samuels and Ridley, Anderson could definitely see some snaps. Just last year, in the 2017-18 season, Anderson reached the 1,000 yard mark at 4.1 yards per carry and 3 TDs. Not bad for a backup. The only other real option is Orleans Darkwa, formerly of the New York Giants. Darkwa offers more upside than Anderson, but considering the Steelers will be looking for consistency and experience, Anderson may be the smarter move.
More likely than not, the Steelers stick with Connor and hope he doesn't get hurt. And there's no guarantee Anderson is even interested in a backup job. But if the Steelers do hope to make a move, Anderson is by far the best option.
