Steelers' James Conner: Likely to play Week 17

Conner (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, will be evaluated after a pregame warmup, but the expectation is that he'll suit up, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Even though Conner put in a trio of full practices this week, the Steelers want to be sure the sprained ankle that sidelined him for the past three games isn't an issue in the hours leading up to the contest before his status is confirmed. Assuming Conner avoids any setbacks in the workout and gains clearance to suit up, he'll likely take back his starting role, but not necessarily the huge volume he previously enjoyed. Jaylen Samuels has thrived as the lead back in Conner's absence, which could prompt coach Mike Tomlin to lean on more of a timeshare out of the backfield as a means of easing the strain on Conner's ankle.