Was it it right for Le’veon Bell to hold out on the Pittsburgh Steelers? Only time will tell. The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently the number one team in the AFC North with a 6-2-1 record and it doesn’t look like they need Bell in the backfield right now.
Bell, a three-year star out of Michigan State, was drafted 48th overall in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL draft, and has officially been ruled out for the rest of the 2018 season. He did not report to the Steelers by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, which was the deadline for him to sign his Franchise Tender after being Franchise tagged by the Steelers. With Bell failing to do so he has now become ineligible and has missed out on $14,544,000.
Bell has played five seasons in the NFL and is known as one of the most elite running backs in the league. In 62 games played, Bell has racked up over 1200 rushing yards, 5000 total yards, and 35 touchdowns in his career. He is arguably the most used running back in the NFL because he is on the field for 90% percent of the snaps. He also racks up a good amount of receiving yards out the backfield, making him the equivalent of a #2 receiver on another team.
Bell is coming off his best season yet. He rushed for 321 yards and picked up 1291 total yards. He also scored nine touchdowns which is the most he’s scored in a season.
Bell did not report to the Steelers Tuesday because he could not reach an agreement with the organization. Pittsburgh had offered him a five-year deal that was worth 70 million, but Bell declined the offer because he believed he deserved more money. Back in 2017, Bell did not report to the Steelers spring training because of negotiation differences but ended up playing anyways for a $12.12 million tag. In 2019, the Franchise tag will go up to $25 million plus. In the offseason the Steelers have a choice of either trying to make a deal with Bell or just let him go into free agency where he will most likely receive the contract that he is looking for.
This situation relates to Earl Thomas. Earl Thomas is a defender for the Seattle Seahawks and he is one of the last stars on the Seahawks defense that was part of the “Legion of Boom.” Thomas held out of preseason games this year hoping to pick up a better contract with Seattle or to get traded to a team that can afford to pay him. Thomas reported to Seattle but then started missing practices to show his frustration with the organization.
When the season came around Thomas’ defense had been excellent through three games. Unfortunately, in week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals Thomas suffered a broken leg that put him out for the rest of 2018. While being carted off the field Thomas flipped off the Seahawks organization to show how he felt about not getting his contract. This is a good example as to why Le’veon Bell has chose to sit out.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have replaced Bell with James Connor. Connor was drafted 105th overall in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has piled up 771 rushing yards this season, ranking him in the three spot of that category. Connor also ranks third for most touchdowns this season with 10.
