Former Steelers RB Off to Dreadful Start in UFL

A former Pittsburgh Steelers running back's stint in the UFL hasn't gone well so far.

Aug 28, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Bennie Snell Jr. (24) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers won 19-9. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell has not enjoy a productive start to his UFL campaign.

A member of the Louisville Kings after signing with them back in January, Snell first ran for just 12 yards on five carries with no receptions as the team fell to the Birmingham Stallions by a score of 15-13 in the season opener on March 27.

Then, in Louisville's second contest of the year against the Orlando Storm on April 4, Snell logged four yards on six rushing attempts to go alongside two catches for 28 yards in a 19-9 loss for the Kings.

A fourth-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2019 NFL Draft, Snell's return to professional football has not gone quite as swimmingly as he had hoped up to this point, but there's still time to turn things around.

Aug 20, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell Jr. (24) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Snell's Steelers Career

A standout at the University of Kentucky, where he compiled 4,089 yards from scrimmage with a whopping 48 touchdowns from 2016 to 2018 while setting the program's all-time rushing record, Snell's initial role with the Steelers was serving as James Conner's backup.

Snell (108 attempts) would end up garnering nearly the same amount of carries as Conner (116), however, due to the fact that the latter dealt with both knee and shoulder injuries in 2019.

With that workload as a rookie, Snell logged 426 yards and two touchdowns. In 2020, he appeared in all 16 games for Pittsburgh and posted 368 yards on 111 carries with four scores.

Even though Conner signed with the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the 2021 campaign, Snell's offensive workload diminished significantly in his final two years with the Steelers after they selected Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

He put up just 188 yards and a score on 56 rushing attempts between the 2021 and 2022 campaigns while seeing the field for 152 offensive reps over that span.

Snell became more involved on special teams as a result, but Pittsburgh opted not to re-sign him once his rookie contract expired.

He went on to sign with the Detroit Lions in August 2023, though the organization let go of him at final roster cuts just several weeks later, and he hadn't been on a professional roster ever since, let alone one in the NFL.

Snell is likely hoping that he can earn his way back into the league with a strong showing in the UFL, but his stint in Louisville has gotten off to a poor start.

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