One week of the 2018 NFL regular season is already in the books, and Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell still has yet to sign his franchise tender, and has not joined his teammates.
It’s unclear exactly when Bell will report to the team, and he hasn’t said much, aside from a cryptic emoji tweet after the Steelers tied the Browns last Sunday.
He has apparently spoken with NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew, though. The former running back, who is now an analyst, appeared on The Dave Dameshek Football Program this week, and he shared some important details from his conversation with Bell.
“[Bell] said to me ‘people think that I don’t like Pittsburgh, I don’t like James Conner, I don’t like these guys,'” Jones-Drew said, as transcribed by Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com. “He was like yes, I was disappointed they went out and spoke about my contract, understandably so. He was like, but I still want them to do well, they’re still guys that I work with and guys that I’ve put in this extra work with — blood, sweat and tears like I still want them to do well.”
Jones-Drew continued:
“[Bell] was happy for James Conner after that performance but that performance justifies why he’s not there right now. If you’re going to give James Conner 31 carries, imagine how many you’d give to Le’Veon Bell?”
MJD raises a great point about how Bell could’ve thrived in Week 1, as the Steelers looked for a balanced offensive attack against the Browns. The team ran the ball 35 times in the game. If Bell does plan to play elsewhere next season, as many believe, it would make sense for him to accumulate as many yards and touchdowns as possible, so he can earn a big payday in the future.
It’s great to hear that Bell wants his teammates to do well. Maybe now he’ll join them on the field in the near future, as the team prepares to embark on a potential Super Bowl run.
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