Tailback Kalen Ballage signs with Steelers, surely ending James Conner's chances of returning to Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Steelers fans adore Pro Bowl running back James Conner not just because he's a good player but that he also overcame cancer to become one of the best running backs in ACC history at the University of Pittsburgh. Conner grew up in the area, too, so it was a great story when he broke out with the Steelers as well, but the free agent's career in black and gold is surely over with the news Tuesday that the team has signed free-agent running Kalen Ballage to a one-year deal.

The 25-year-old Ballage, a 2018 fourth-round pick by the Dolphins, has never much been a featured back and surely will not be in Pittsburgh, either. Last year in 11 combined games with the Jets and Chargers, Ballage set career highs in carries (91), yards (303) and touchdowns (three) but only averaged 3.3 yards per carry and is so-so as a receiver.

Ballage is the first running back the Steelers have added this offseason and joins Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds on the roster. It is very likely that Pittsburgh selects a running back fairly high in the draft (Travis Etienne? Najee Harris?) after finishing last in the NFL in 2020 in averaging 84.4 yards on the ground per game.

Conner, a 2017 third-round pick, blew up in his 2018 Pro Bowl season when Le'Veon Bell sat out the year as Conner finished with 973 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on 215 carries (4.5 yards per carry), while catching 55 balls for 497 yards and a TD. He was a poor-man's Bell and helped those who found him on the early-season waiver wire win their Fantasy leagues.

However, Conner just can't stay on the field, yet to play more than 13 games – in 13 games last year, he had 169 carries for 721 yards and six scores while catching 35 passes for 215 yards. He never ran for even 40 yards in any game from Week 12 through Pittsburgh's postseason loss to Cleveland.

Over the weekend, Conner tweeted "I can see it now" in an apparent reference about returning to Pittsburgh. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco ranked him as the No. 81 overall free agent entering the offseason.

Conner is the best running back left on Prisco's board, followed by the likes of Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, Bell and Duke Johnson. The Miami Dolphins had long been rumored as a potential Conner landing spot, but they already signed former Rams running back Malcolm Brown. Perhaps Conner could stay in Pennsylvania and back up Miles Sanders in Philadelphia. 

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