Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell said he’d finally report to the team during their Week 7 bye. But their bye is over, and he’s still nowhere to be found.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Bell was not in the building to join the rest of his teammates when the Steelers reported Monday morning after their bye weekend.
Despite claiming that he’d report by this time in the season, Bell reportedly still hasn’t had any contact with the team, who remain in the dark as to when exactly he will return.
There's a belief around the league that a potential reason for Bell’s continued refusal to report at this time is to avoid getting traded before the NFL trade deadline on Oct. 30. The Steelers would be unable to trade him if he doesn’t sign his franchise tender.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II said recently that he doesn’t expect the team to trade the star running back. But by staying away, Bell might not be ready to take any chances.
There’s still a chance that Bell does make his return later in the week. But with the conspicuous lack of communication between him and the team, that possibility looks somewhat unlikely at this point.
If Bell does fail to show up in the coming days, James Conner will continue to be the team's bell cow in the backfield for their next game against the Cleveland Browns.
Conner was sensational in the season opener against the Browns, racking up 192 total yards and two touchdowns.
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