Whatever chances the Pittsburgh Steelers had of reaching Super Bowl LIII and hoisting a Lombardi Trophy died the moment All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell left the negotiating table. Cue the somber music, and gather the black suits and golden dresses as the Steelers bid farewell to the 2018 season and a marriage that died a long time ago.
Bell is now rendered nameless by an organization desperate to focus on the future and a fan base too hurt to remember the past. The Killer B’s—Bell, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown—enamored fans and made life a living hell for opponents with their elite brand of playground ball. At times, it felt like a re-imagining of the Greatest Show on Turf.
Then Bell’s contract ended and business posturing slowly ate away at the core of one of the most dominant running back, quarterback, and receiver combinations in NFL history.
The Steelers have spent the last couple months pumping up second-year running back James Conner—a lesser version of Bell but talented nonetheless. But even as the team praised Conner publicly, they worked diligently behind the scenes in an attempt to make amends with Bell, knowing he gave them a premium option at the position.
Bell opted to sit out the year rather than play under the franchise tag for a second consecutive season. Yet, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he was potentially open to returning under one condition: The Steelers agree to not use the franchise tag on him for a third time. It would have essentially been a one-and-done deal that benefited both sides on the field. Bell would have returned home for one final ride with Roethlisberger and Brown, and the Steelers would have their best shot at winning another Super Bowl.
But the arms of the organization remained folded, and they flat-out refused to make that promise for business reasons. They hoped to avoid setting precedent for future players in Bell’s position considering trekking down the same road in hopes of getting an upper-hand in contract negotiations.
The Steelers rolled the dice by drawing a line in the sand the same way they did when they franchise tagged Bell the second time, despite clear warnings he’d sit out the season. That gamble ended in Bell’s 2018 departure, and Conner—the prized replacement for the future Hall of Fame tailback—experiencing a dip in production before going down with a sprained ankle in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
James Conner is OUT this week. Has an ankle sprain and not a contusion, coach Mike Tomlin said. More significant than expected.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 4, 2018
Another failed gamble by a team that will surely be out of luck by January.
The Steelers currently sit in fourth place in the AFC seeding with a road game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday preceding back-to-back games with the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. Even if Conner returns before the end of the season, there are no guarantees he’ll be 100 percent in pivotal games down the stretch.
Bell was the best and readily available option for the Steelers, and they missed on it repeatedly. They could have nipped this in the bud a couple years ago, but there was some hesitation given the running back’s injury history and multiple suspensions. However, that still doesn’t explain their inability to move him in a trade. These contract negotiations have been ongoing for two years, and Bell will eventually walk out the door for far less than he’s worth.
As for the Steelers, they’ll get bounced in the playoffs and miss out on another opportunity to cash in on a rapidly closing Super Bowl window. Roethlisberger, 36, has been off-and-on contemplating retirement for the last couple seasons, and while Brown has shown no signs of slowing down, he’ll turn 31 years old next year.
Both are clearly closer to the end than the beginning.
The Steelers still have the option of placing the transition tag on Bell, but it doesn’t appear to be the likely course of action. Bell will move on next season with some other team willing to fork over a massive contract, and the Steelers will do the same with Roethlisberger, Brown and Conner—a formidable threesome but never quite the same.
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