Report: Benny Snell undergoes procedure on knee, will miss “weeks”

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart at the running back position has been absolutely decimated over the course of one week. After the team’s Monday Night Football win over the Miami Dolphins, the Steelers are now looking at possibly going into a Week 9 game vs. the Indianapolis Colts without James Conner and Benny Snell.

A report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggests the question of whether Snell could suit up this week is out of the question. According to Rapoport, Snell underwent surgery to trim his meniscus recently, which will have him missing 2-3 weeks.

See the report below:

If the report is true, and Snell is out for 2-3 weeks, the return of Jaylen Samuels couldn’t have come at a better time for the black-and-gold. His return certainly softens the blow of losing Snell, and possibly Conner, this week. But behind Samuels is anything but proven depth.

Assuming James Conner can play, the depth chart for Sunday would likely be:

James Conner
Jaylen Samuels
Trey Edmunds

Take Conner off that chart and it likely means the team has to promote one of two running backs they currently have on their practice squad. Not an ideal situation with a quality team like the Colts coming to town.

But back to Snell. As most look at this injury as a huge hit to the running back position, it might be smarter to see it as a huge hit to the special teams units. Snell has been one of the better special teams players so far this year and a contributor on kick coverage teams. With Snell out, someone else will have to fill his role on special teams. Not an easy task for a team who has struggled in this area so far this year.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news on the injury front as the team prepares for Steelers vs. Colts in Week 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET.