Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell finally announced his timetable for a return in the 2018 NFL season. However, he still has yet to report to practice.
The hope was that Bell would use the bye week to get acclimated to the offense. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, he is expected to report at some point over the next week:
Le’Veon Bell’s plan was to utilize period between bye week and the Browns game to start to make his return. If not in Pittsburgh by some time next week, perhaps something has changed in his approach.
The plan certainly would make sense for Bell. Although there is no doubt that he has done what he can to stay in shape, there is no way to fully prepare for the grind of an NFL season. It will likely take him a few weeks to get fully accustomed to his workload.
However, much has changed during Bell's absence. Running back James Connor has established himself as the team's workhorse back and a worthy successor. Pittsburgh has already indicated that Connor will maintain his role as the starter even when Bell makes his return.
It may seem a bit far-fetched to have the three-time Pro Bowler come off the bench. However, that seems to be the case after the season Connor has had. Regardless, there is no question regarding which player is the better back. Having Bell in the game gives the Steelers the best chance to win. Of course, he will first need to make his return in order for anything to be determined in the first place.
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