Bell Won’t Report To Steelers This Week

The Steelers-Le’Veon Bell stalemate will take a significant divergent turn compared to last year’s impasse. Bell will not report to the team on Saturday and will forgo an $853K payment, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Bell has until 4pm ET to show up, but Schefter adds that deadline will come and go with the two-time All-Pro away from the team. James Conner was already entrenched as the Steelers’ Week 1 starter against the Browns, but Bell being willing to skip a game check adds a layer to this situation.

This process will now carry over into Week 2, when the Steelers are set to host the two-time reigning AFC West champion Chiefs. And if Bell’s on board with bypassing a near-$1MM check this week, it’s obviously in play he’d do so again. Steelers offensive linemen unloaded on the running back this week for his seeming disinterest in his 2018 team’s status compared to his potential position on the 2019 free agent market. The situation plunges into stranger territory now that he’s refused to report before his team’s Cleveland trip.

The early part of the Steelers’ schedule is not as menacing as the back end. The Chiefs are the only 2017 playoff team on the Steelers’ September slate. But the Ravens, viewed by many as the top threat to the Steelers’ AFC North crown this season, are set to visit Pittsburgh in Week 4.

Pittsburgh will not trade Bell, rescind his franchise tag or add money to it. Bell’s agent cryptically voiced concerns about how the Steelers will use his client this season — on the heels of mammoth workloads in 2016 (on a per-game basis) and ’17 — and Bell’s side is showing it means business by extending the player’s absence into the regular season.

Mike Tomlin said earlier this week he won’t let an agent dictate his game plans, firing back at Adisa Bakari’s comments regarding his client’s high-volume usage rate. But until Bell’s side blinks, Conner will be the Steelers’ top running back.

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