Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell said earlier this month that he would finally report to the team during their Week 7 bye. However, the Steelers still haven’t heard anything from Bell and remain in the dark as to when exactly he will return, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Schefter adds that there’s a belief by some around the league that Bell could potentially continue to stay away from the team until after the Oct. 30 trade deadline in order to avoid the possibility of getting traded.
The Steelers would need Bell to sign his franchise tender in order to trade him. So by waiting until after the deadline to report and sign the tender, the Steelers would be unable to complete any deal for Bell this year.
The Steelers are not planning to trade Bell, but have also not completely dismissed the idea. The Philadelphia Eagles have been strongly linked with a trade for Bell, although it was reported that the Eagles do not intend to make a deal for the Steelers running back.
It would be a weird move on Bell’s part to announce his plan to return, only to do something different a few weeks later. It would be another damaging hit to his already strained relationship with the Steelers
However, the fact that Bell has yet to even make contact with the team after announcing his plans to return during the bye suggests that the possibility of him waiting until after the deadline to report is still in play.
Follow Us
Subscribe