No doubt, fans at Acrisure Stadium will give a warm welcome to James Conner. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett even plans to swap jerseys with the Cardinals running back.
Conner was a Pittsburgh mainstay for a number of years. He starred for the Pitt Panthers and earned All-America honors. And he did this after overcoming cancer. The Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. And he was the perfect, sentimental choice, given he grew up in Erie, Penn. and already had a fan base in Pittsburgh.
But as often happens in the NFL, players change teams. He signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals. as the Steelers moved on with Najee Harris. On Sunday, Conner returns to the Steel City for the first time as a player for another team.
Pickett never played with Conner with the Panthers or Steelers. But the two are friends. They met in 2017, when Conner trained at Pitt for the draft while Pickett was a Panthers freshman. He told reporters that Conner took him “under his wing.”
“He’s a great dude and an inspiration to so many people in this city,” Pickett told reporters after Friday’s practice. “Definitely gonna get a jersey swap with ‘6’ when I get done with that game.”
Conner says he still feels the love for the city and Steelers
No doubt, Conner will be sentimental when he steps on the field. He earned his first Pro Bowl berth after his 2018 season with the Steelers.
“I feel the love, for sure. It’s a lot of love there in the city,” Conner told reporters earlier this week. “I’ve got a lot of respect for the people there and just love for them taking a chance on me, taking an opportunity.”
He’s had to deal with another knee injury this season. The Cardinals placed him on injured reserve earlier this season. Conner returned to the active roster, Nov. 11. He’s played in eight games so far, gaining 526 yards with a pair of touchdowns. His 5.1 yards per carry average is the highest of his pro career.
Qadree Ollison is on the Steelers practice squad. He was Conner on the scout team to prep the Steelers defense for the Cardinals offense. And coincidentally, Ollison and Conner were teammates with the Panthers. Ollison even replaced Conner when Conner declared for the draft.
“I think the fans will give him some love,” Ollison said of Conner, his long-time friend.
More must-reads: