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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward says it's Le'Veon Bell's loss if he doesn't want to join the team in a timely fashion, but will welcome him with open arms when he does. NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala had an exchange about Heyward's words via Twitter:
I also said that he is more than welcomed on the bus. We are just trying to win and he can help us if and when he comes!
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) September 5, 2018
The Steelers are set to play the Cleveland Browns this Sunday to start the regular season, but Bell almost certainly won't be on the field due to his holdout. Tempers really flared up in Steelers camp this week as Bell's status became a bit more clear.
Bell's franchise tag for this season is worth $14.5 million. Back in March, the star running back said he would demand at least that much each season if he were to sign a multi-year contract with the franchise. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Only Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger are set to make more than Bell this season.
While the Steelers would love to get Bell back on the field, they are confident in the potential of second-year running back James Conner to fill the starting role during his absence. Conner has a small sample size to draw from, only recording 32 carries for 144 yards in his rookie campaign for the Steelers. Conner rushed for 3,733 yards in four years at the University of Pittsburgh. He is expected to split carries with former NC State standout Jaylen Samuels.
Samuels is a Swiss Army knife and could be one of the best steals of the draft after going in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He set the record for career receptions (202) at NC State and was the only active college player in the country with at least 15 career rushing and receiving touchdowns last season. He participated in the NFL Draft Combine as a tight end, but spent time playing running back, fullback and in the slot during his collegiate career as well. His skill set is more similar to Bell's and should prove to be an asset for the Steelers this year.
Time is winding down with the season approaching, and it looks like the Steelers will have to entrust the backfield to this talented young duo for the time being. If Bell and the Steelers can't come to an agreement, plenty of teams could come forward with lucrative trade offers for Bell at some point in the season.
