The Pittsburgh Steelers are hopeful James Conner will return to "lead dog" status this season.

Pittsburgh dealt with a number of injuries last season. Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Conner all missed chunks of the season.

"We're excited about what the group is going to do largely. Usually when it's going well, it's because you have a lead dog out front, and that guy is the featured runner. . . . James is a featured guy and proven runner when healthy," Mike Tomlin said.

"We're excited about him getting back to health and displaying that in 2020. Benny Snell is a guy that is capable of being a featured runner who plays with a physical style in a similar manner to James. He's capable of being a James-type of guy if James is unavailable."

Conner is entering the final year of his rookie contract.