Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury suffered during Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He will have surgery this week and then be placed on injured reserve.
It was looking like running back James Conner, who suffered a knee injury in the same game, would also be unavailable for the upcoming matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. That may not be the case.
Conner exited Sunday's game with 14:19 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return. He finished with 11 carries for 33 yards and three receptions for 12 yards.
The running back expects to play on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
"I don't think it's long term," Conner said of the injury during a discussion on 93.7 The Fan. "I'm pretty confident I'll be out there this coming Sunday."
While Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn't disclose too much about Conner's injury, the running back said "it's a bruise or contusion," before clarifying that there was "no tear."
"I tried everything I could to get back in the game," Conner continued, "but I would be doing the team disservice if I wasn't able to accelerate."
The 49ers and Steelers face each other on Sunday at Levi's Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PT.