It looks like James Conner is going to move into the Steelers’ starting lineup when they face the Browns on Sunday, and the second-year running back may get a full workload.
Barring something unexpected, Le’Veon Bell is not expected to play in Week 1, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Attached to a $14.5MM franchise tag he’s yet to sign, Bell remains away from the Steelers. He’d reported by this point going into last season’s opener and played in Week 1. However, the running back’s likely voyage to free agency in 2019 appears to have him operating differently going into his sixth season.
The Steelers are at a loss, but they have no plans to rescind Bell’s franchise tag, Fowler reports. No team has rescinded a tag after the start of a training camp since the 2005 Eagles, when they pulled defensive tackle Corey Simon‘s and made him a free agent.
Bell and the Steelers failed to come to an agreement at the past two franchise tag deadlines, and Bell’s agent, Adisa Bakari, said the running back is going to do what is “necessary to protect his value long-term.”
“Le’Veon has several years left in football. We know his days in Pittsburgh are precarious at best. We also know how he’s been utilized in the past by the Steelers organization,” Bakari said during an appearance on ESPN’s NFL Live, which followed a Sirius XM interview featuring the agent appearing to cite the Steelers’ old-school usage of his client as a reason Bell is staying away from the team.
“That’s nothing to say negative about the Steelers. They had one of the best players to play the position and they used him heavily for the production he can provide, but in doing so you take away from his future years.”
This puts the two-time reigning AFC North champions in a strange spot, as they’d like to have the services of their longtime running back. But the sides’ failure to agree to terms in July may have major in-season ramifications. The tougher part of Pittsburgh’s schedule looks to be the second half, with Patriots, Jaguars, Chargers and Saints games slated for November and December. But the Steelers do play the Chiefs in Week 2 and may have to do so without Bell.
A third-round pick out of Pitt last year, Conner averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 32 totes as a rookie.
Wouldn’t Bell missing time have a pretty bad effect on his leverage for when he’s a FA?
Absolutely not. If anything it helps him in free agency. That’s why he’s not reporting too. Less wear and tear on his body means more production later in his career
Signing and having another 450+ touch season under his belt would destroy his value. Sitting out 10 weeks won’t mean much.
That is the job he signed up for when they drafted him. The Steelers should have traded him when they could have before all of this started. Everybody knew he was not going to sign regardless of what he was given.
If he can get the money then let it be somewhere else and move on with Conner. He is a great player but there is a whole team not just one player.
Given? Don’t you mean “earned”. What people need to understand is that by the time a running back is 30, his body is usually at replacement value. Bell has a limited window and is trying to maximize the return. As a Packer fan, I’m just jealous that the Steelers got him and we got Cheeseburger Eddie.
He chose to play RB. He should know the history of the position and expected shelf life. Playing a game for close to a million per, I have a hard time supporting his argument. He’ll get his dollars in FA, but for now, honor the rules.
Earned is playing for what he is worth. Given is the difference between what he’s worth and what he wants. He hasn’t earned twice as much as any other back regardless of what he thinks.
People defending him act like the Steelers gave him a garbage offer. I hope he signs a huge contract elsewhere and the team he’s on wins nothing to prove the point of why the Steelers didn’t want to spend that on a running back. And good luck finding a team that has a line like the Steelers, a hall of fame qb, and a top 3 wr in the league.
Overall value was decent, the guaranteed money was hot garbage. Steelers knew he was going to reject that offer.
He’ll end up on a team like the Jets. A bad team with enough cap space to overpay and to put into one player and that’s desperate enough to do so.
Getting older so he might have an interest in a warm climate team as well. Dolphins no longer have an impact RB like Ajayi and they could use a bell cow to carry the load until they get their QB mess straightened out. Same would apply to the Cardinals if David Johnson can’t rebound.
Haha interested in a warm climate he says
You got to remember he works for Dairy Queen in the off season and they always add and extra shift if the weather is hot.
The guarantees money was garbage! Not even close to what Gurley got guaranteed and he deserves more than Gurley.
Who cares if he goes to a bad team because of the money? Why is that of concern to you? Why do you think that’s of concern to him?
Sure, it’s fun to win. But it’s more fun to have that money when your career is over.
And if you dispute that, I’d like to ask you a question… Would you rather be making $100,000 per year as a coder for a small company or making $50,000 per year as a coder for Google.
Basically – would you rather make more money or would you rather work for the cutting-edge company that has more impact on the world? It’s no different for athletes. The best ones will take the money over the better chance to win every day.
I’m not against him wanting to make money. What I’m against is him holding out when he knows his desired offer won’t come from the Steelers at this point. So he should show up and be a part of his team to help them win this season. Nothing is going to be accomplished by him sitting out, other than avoiding injury. Actually, he has missed a ton of games for the Steelers so maybe he is on to something….
The alternate argument is that the Steeler’s should demonstrate that they are willing to reward a top talent especially when they know none of the RBs on their depth chart is going to match the production Bell provided.
With what his line is saying, I can see them not blocking for him like that scene in the Longest Yard lol
I don’t know what comments by offensive linemen your referring to but I do know that it would be hypocritical for any of Bell’s teammates to make negative statements since we all know they would be chasing the dollars just as hard if they were in the same position.
Google what Ramon Foster, Pouncey, and DeCastro said about Bell today.
link to profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
Here’s the link to Foster and Pouncey.
Thx for the link. It’s clearly a case of sour grapes with Foster who came into the league undrafted, will be a free agent next year at age 33, with little hope of scoring a payday like Bell. Pouncey was more reasonable and is simply frustrated that they have to game plan around Bell’s absence.
I can understand why they would be upset at him when it’s this close to the start and he hasn’t shown up and everyone wants to win a championship and they know that he’s their best back. They all supported his decision not to tend training camp but now hes hurting the team. I can see why they’d be angry.
2 players expressed opinions but I’m betting there are several players that feel management should be rewarding the guy. They can’t say that publicly of course without suffering repercussions from the front office.
Not so sure about that. With the nfl cap and how it works, more money to Bell could mean less money to them at some point.
It’s been his whole line that’s expressing opinions, just that article I linked quoted two guys. Ben also stated how he wished he was in camp to help the team. Guys we’re onboard with his holdout up until he hurt the team, and not playing week one hurts the team.
As a Browns fan, I say “excellent!”
The Browns have only won 4 of the 37 meetings this millennium so don’t get too excited.
Did I say that I was excited? No, because I’m a realist.
Browns played Steelers tough last year week 1. Its opening week, at home if I’m not mistaken, new look team, Steelers don’t have bell… there’s a lot in their favor. I’m not going into this thinking guaranteed win for the Steelers
I think the betting line dropped by about 3 when it was confirmed that Bell would be a no go. Nothing is ever guaranteed but I can’t get on board with a team that had a -28 turnover ratio last season.
Keep the tag and get a waiver. Bell wants to play games, then no paycheck this week. Can’t buy that ganja without a paycheck.
Not a Steelers fan, but they’d be smart to try and trade him this season, much like Hershel Walker to the Vikings that set the course for the Cowboys dynasty years. Get a bunch of draft picks and play the year out with Conner
If Conner has a poor first game or two in Leveon’s absence, look for the Steelers to rescind his tag and cave in by giving him 4 year $60 million fully guaranteed. He’d be safe if he suffers an injury and the Steelers would retain the services of the best RB in the game. He’s only holding out because he wants that guaranteed money.