Good news: Steelers running James Conner had his best game of the season in Week Eight. Bad news: He suffered an injury late in Monday night’s 27-14 win over the Dolphins.
A trainer seemed to mouth “clavicle” while looking at Conner, whose right arm was hanging as he left the field after being tackled in the fourth quarter. Following the game, coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that Conner is being evaluated for an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder.
Running back Jaylen Samuels already is out with a knee injury. If Conner misses any time, the Steelers will be down to Benny Snell and Trey Edmunds at tailback. They also have Tony Brook-James on the practice squad.
The trade deadline arrives on Tuesday afternoon. In theory, the Steelers could try to make a move, or they can explore adding an available free agent.
At 3-4, the Steelers remain very much alive in the AFC North. Baltimore has a 5-2 record, but they host the Patriots on Sunday. If the Ravens lose and the Steelers beat the Colts, the gap would be down to one game.
Baltimore holds the tiebreaker, thanks to a win at Pittsburgh earlier this year. But the Ravens also have a loss to the Browns; if the Steelers, who have beaten the Bengals and have another game at Cincinnati and two against the Browns, win those three games and are one game behind the Ravens (or tied with them or leading by a game) entering Week 17, the rematch would become an AFC North championship game.