Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Conner (ankle) hasn't been ruled out for the Week 15 game against the Patriots but will need to demonstrate progress in practices Wednesday through Friday to gain clearance to play, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.
Conner, who is believed to be dealing with something between a mid-to-high-ankle sprain, was sidelined for the first time all season over the past weekend in the Steelers' 24-21 loss to the Raiders. While the lead back was inactive, rookie Jaylen Samuels stepped in as the primary option out of the backfield, playing 80 percent of the offensive snaps and finishing with 28 yards on 11 carries and 64 yards on seven receptions. While Tomlin noted that Conner is coming off an encouraging week of recovery, he's uncertain to be ready to return to practice in any capacity within the next few days. Until there's a firmer indication that Conner is actually on track to play against New England, fantasy managers who scooped up Samuels should continue to hold him in all formats.