After a season in which Le'Veon Bell led the AFC in rushing and yards from scrimmage and was named the conference's co-offensive player of the year with teammate Antonio Brown by NFL 101, there would not appear to be much concern about the position for the Steelers.
And, for the most part, there isn't.
But there are several disconcerting aspects heading into the 2015 season, and chief among them is the two-game suspension Bell is expected to receive to start the regular season.
Bell was admitted into an Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition program after he was charged with marijuana possession and driving under the influence in August. The charges against him can be dismissed when he completes the program, but such programs are considered guilty pleas under the NFL's new substance abuse policy and mandate a two-game suspension.
"Once the league makes a decision, obviously we'll adhere to it," general manager Kevin Colbert said. "We don't know which way it will go. You know what the policy is written, and we'll see if that's the result. But we don't know at this point. We have to be prepared in the event that he is suspended. That's all part of this process."
The Steelers saw what can happen when they have to play without Bell when they lost their wild-card playoff game at home to the Baltimore Ravens in January.
His absence might not matter against a lesser opponent, but there is a good chance the Steelers could play their first game at New England in the league's season opener Sept. 10.
That means the Steelers have to decide if they want to open their season with Josh Harris and/or Dri Archer at running back against, say, the Patriots; or sign a veteran in free agency like they did last season with LeGarrette Blount. The latter is a more plausible possibility.
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When Bell couldn't play against the Ravens, the Steelers signed veteran Ben Tate that week and started him in the playoff game. Even if the Steelers draft a running back in the middle rounds - a distinct possibility, given the depth of the position in the draft class - they could not immediately count on him being a viable replacement for Bell.
It is unlikely the Steelers will re-sign Tate because they were hesitant to sign him to begin with, worried he would not accept a limited role behind Bell. That was part of Tate's problem in Cleveland when the Browns released him in November. Also, there is concern about his penchant for fumbling.
When the Steelers signed Blount to a two-year, $3.85 million deal before the 2014 season, that gave them one of the better two-back combinations in the league - until Blount suddenly got fed up with his lack of playing time and the Steelers finally got fed up with him.
Blount was released one day after he left the field early in a November game at Tennessee, and the Steelers opted to promote Harris from the practice squad because they liked his running style. Harris, though, was not in training camp with the Steelers and did not have a lot of time to learn their protections. That was one of the reasons they signed Tate for the postseason.
If the Steelers don't re-sign Tate, they go right back to where they were last year - in search of a veteran backup for Bell.
And while Bell will continue to get the bulk of the carries - his 290 rush attempts were the most in the AFC - it is imperative to find a backup to ease some of his early-season workload. That's what Blount did during his limited stay when he carried 65 times for 266 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.
Right now, Harris is untested and Archer, a third-round choice last season, is more of a specialty player - and an unproven one, at that.
The Steelers will need a plan to begin the season when Bell is suspended, as expected, for the first two games. Like last year, that plan will likely be addressed in free agency and the draft.
The good news, though: They know Bell will be returning.
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter: @gerrydulac.
First Published: March 8, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
