Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell plans to return to the team in the next couple of weeks, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't think that should mean reducing James Conner's workload in the offense.

Appearing on 93.7 The Fan (h/t Sean Gentille of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Roethlisberger explained why the Steelers should put Conner " on the shelf," even though Bell is obviously the flashier and more decorated running back.

"Now granted, I think Le'Veon's one of the best in the business, I think we all understand that and can agree on that," Roethlisberger said. "But what James needs to understand...when Le'Veon comes back, in no way, shape or form should James just say, 'OK, it's all yours. I'm gonna sit back and when you need me, use me.'"

Conner has 342 rushing yards, five touchdowns and 22 catches for 239 receiving yards in 2018. All told, he's done an excellent job filling in for Bell, and the Steelers now have better reason not to pay the latter the top dollar he wants when free agency comes in March.

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Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Assuming Bell leaves this spring, Conner will undoubtedly be the top running back for Pittsburgh in 2019 and beyond. However, the Steelers simply can't ignore using Bell when he returns to the team. This is by far the best running back in all of football, and Bell completely changes the dynamic of their offense.

Bell didn't sign his contract tender with the Steelers and has yet to play a game this season. The Steelers wouldn't budge from their final offer of five years, $70 million, which left Bell disgruntled and unwilling to play.

The Steelers now have two quality running backs to build the offense around, and Roethlisberger believes Conner's all-around game makes him a vital part of the unit going forward.

"And I will push for James to get as much run as we can because we've seen some great things from him in all phases of football," Roethlisberger said. "He's picking up blitzes, he's catching the ball, he's running hard and making plays and playing with a passion, so we need to keep using that."

The Steelers sit at 2-2-3 and visit the 4-1 Cincinnati Bengals, who are leading the AFC North right now.

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