Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell decided not to show up to play this season in order to get his huge payday this coming offseason. And for any team willing to acquire his services, it’s going to be pretty expensive.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Bell wants more than $17 million per season and more than $45 million in guarantees on his upcoming contract.
Article Continues Below“He wanted $17 million from the Steelers last year,” Rapoport said. “A new year, a higher [salary] cap, he wants more than $17 million. Heavy in the guaranteed money, from what I'm told, seeking more than $45 million in guarantees. … He could potentially look for a five-year, $85 million deal. Consider the fact that it could be front-loaded, he may actually get the $20 million-plus over maybe the first two years that he wants.”
The Steelers could still use the transition tag on Bell, which would give them the right to match any offer the running back gets. But if there’s a team out there that would be willing to give Bell the type of money he’s asking for, the Steelers would most likely let Bell walk.
But whether there actually is a team that’s willing to fork over that type of cash for Bell remains to be seen. The New York Jets have been strongly linked with Bell and would have the cap space needed to sign Bell to that massive deal. However, it’s still hard to fathom a running back fetching those sorts of numbers, even one as good as Bell.