A new season of football brings a clean slate to any and all teams and players, and perhaps there's no other player in 2017 who are poised to have a monstrous campaign than Pittsburgh Steelers star running back, Le'Veon Bell.
The 25-year-old has not had the smoothest of paths towards NFL stardom. Following his breakout season in 2014 wherein he piled up 2,215 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns, Bell became a casualty of off-field temptations and severe injuries. He was suspended for the first three games of both the 2015 and 2016 seasons – DUI and marijuana possession for the former and illegal substance abuse in the latter – and also suffered a torn MCL late in 2015. All these issues have resulted in tempered expectations that the two-time Pro Bowl selection can put together another full season of awe-inspiring work.
This 2017, Bell had a minor holdout with his team, opting to sit out the entirety of training camp and the preseason before signing the franchise tag on the first of September given to him by the Steelers back in February. While many may consider Bell's decision to skip his team's offseason activites as a selfish move, it's Bell who's using his current status as motivation to perform even better than before on what could be his final year in Pittsburgh.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler caught up with Bell to get the Michigan State product's take on his rather sour situation with the Steelers. Bell's focus on the 2017 regular season could not have been more apparent, and it's that one-year deal that's driving his will to succeed and bounce back from his rocky past:
“I'm confident in the things I can do on a football field. I'm just worried about going out there and winning games… I've got to go out there and prove myself, stay healthy, stay on the field, the rest will take care of itself.”
Based on the 12 games he played last season, Bell was on pace to set new personal and league records on the ground and through the air. He finished with 1,884 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns, with those numbers eerily close to his stellar 2014 campaign. At this rate, he could indeed set new highs with a fresh full season at hand.
Not only does Bell stand to benefit from a bounce-back season, but Pittsburgh's also bound to become a huge winner with its lead back healthy and eager to put on a show in his contract year. The Steelers have been on the cusp of another Super Bowl berth these past few of years, but it's Bell's absence during the preseason that's hindered their chances of doing so.
Out of the three trips to the postseason, Bell's only played in three of Pittsburgh's six playoff games. His three starts were all in 2016, and even then, he suffered an early groin injury during the AFC title game against New England, which inevitably led to Patriots winning their fifth Super Bowl.
Although where Bell's loyalty really lies can be questioned at this point, his recent numbers speak loudly of his undeniable on-field talent. As such, the Steelers best come prepared next year with a long-term deal to lock up the every-down back, because “Juice” surely and humbly wants to make his remaining year with the Steelers one that'll prove that he's worth every penny regardless of his past:
“I'm not asking for anything. I'm going to go out there and play on the one-year franchise that I've got.”
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