By Jordan Long
The Pittsburgh Steelers placed the franchise tag on running back Le’Veon Bell again, paying him $14.544 million this upcoming season. According to ESPN, Bell said, “We’re not coming to a number we both agree on — they are too low, or I guess they feel I’m too high. I’m playing for strictly my value to the team. That’s what I’m asking. I don’t think I should settle for anything less than what I’m valued at.”
All Bell wants is a long-term deal. He is one of the top running backs in the NFL. Last season, Bell rushed for 1,291 yards and 9 touchdowns with an average per rush of 4.0 yards. His running game kept defenses off-balance and helped the Steelers win the AFC North Division at 13-3.
Unfortunately, the Steelers were upset in the Divisional Round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bell didn’t help the cause with only 67 rushing yards. The Jaguars were able to stop him, forcing Ben Roethlisberger to throw the football which cost them the game.
Bell’s preference is to stay a Pittsburgh Steeler. He has threatened to retire if he has to play on the tag another year. This gives both Bell and the Steelers a chance to talk until July 16th to come to an agreement. He may skip training camp like he did last year.
The Steelers know how valuable Bell is to the team. They must sign him to a contract. If it happens that they don’t, they could end up losing him. If it comes to that, the Steelers may have the depth to replace Bell. James Conner and James Summers are the two running backs left on the depth chart. Conner appeared in 14 games rushing for 144 yards while Summers hasn’t played a down in the NFL yet. The Steelers might draft a running back or sign one in free agency.
The Steelers need to wait to see what Bell decides to do. They have plenty of time to reach an agreement with Bell. He controls all the cards. Hopefully, a deal is reached, otherwise the Steelers have a major void to fill.
What do you think will happen with Le’Veon Bell?
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