Are you ready for some Benny Snell Football™? Well, don’t hold your breath, because the rookie running back has already walked back from that term, which he claimed was used only in good fun but had instead become a distraction.
If you’re ready to see the fourth-round running back back on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers, however, then you’re in luck, because he told reporters yesterday that he is now “110 percent, baby”. Snell suffered a knee injury four weeks ago on Sunday during the game against the Miami Dolphins.
Teammate Jaylen Samuels suffered a similar injury and missed a nearly identical amount of time, so it’s not surprising that this is the timescale his recovery was on. But with James Conner re-aggravating the shoulder that he injured in that same Dolphins game, the timing couldn’t be more fortuitous, especially in light of the struggles of the run game in their absence.
“I feel like it’s very important” to get the run game going, he told reporters yesterday from the locker room during his media availability after practice. “We’ve got to just keep the chains moving. Our defense is definitely going to get our stops. We’ve just got to pick it up on offense, and that’s what we plan on doing”.
While Conner and Snell have been out, the vast majority of the load has fallen upon the shoulders of Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds, a pair of second-year backs, neither of whom have exactly flourished with the opportunity. In light of that, the rookie was asked what he feels he brings to the table.
“Just going forward, I know what I can do, what I can contribute, so I’m gonna bring it to the table”, he said. “What the coaches call is whatever they call, but I’m gonna run it to the best of my ability. The coaches know how they can use me. I’m gonna try to do my best, whatever situations they put me in”.
In his last fully healthy game, Snell carried the ball 17 times and picked up 75 yards, adding another reception for 14 yards. He’s looking to build off of that performance, but really, is just hungry to get back on the field and is jumping over every hurdle to get there.
“I feel like I’m ready. I’m excited, I’m ready”, he said. “In the film room and on the field, I try to show the coaches to the best of my ability that I know everything. There’s nothing that I don’t know. Practice has been good, and we’re gonna keep it going”.
