Has Le’Veon Bell Helped or Hurt His Status?

You don’t have to pay a running back a ton of money because another great one is likely to be waiting in the wings.

In all my years watching the NFL, I’ve never seen a player of Le’Veon Bell’s status hold out for at least half of the regular season. I recall Emmitt Smith holding out after the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1992.

Emmitt Smith (photo, ESPN)

Smith led the league in rushing in consecutive seasons. He didn’t report to the Cowboys until after the second game of the 1993 season. Dallas went (0 – 2) without the all-time leading rusher in uniform. Owner Jerry Jones and head coach at the time, Jimmy Johnson, quickly realized they needed to pay their star running back in order to repeat as world champs. And that’s exactly what happened, while Emmitt took home league MVP honors despite missing the first 2 games of the year.

Le’Veon Bell was hoping the same thing would happen to him when he decided not to report to Steelers’ camp. Some thought he’d come back after a couple of weeks, especially after Pittsburgh started (0-1-1), but the organization stood firm and didn’t budge.

Then a 3rd round draft pick from Pitt began to emerge as a premier running back. James Conner basically came out of nowhere to fill two of the biggest shoes in the NFL. And Conner has been nothing short of spectacular–performing at a Pro Bowl level as the Steelers sit atop the AFC North.

James Conner (photo, SteelersWire-USAToday)

The Steelers surprise star began to shine brightly in Week 5 against the Falcons. Conner racked up nearly 200 yards from the line of scrimmage along with scoring a couple of rushing touchdowns. Conner became the only Steeler in history to rush for at least 100 yards and two touchdowns in three straight games.

I’m reminded of an old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Which begs the question: If Le’Veon Bell returns before the November 13th deadline, will head coach Mike Tomlin and upper management even play him?

It’s clear as day that Bell will absolutely NOT be part of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization next year. But that could also mean–if he comes back–that the Black and Yellow will use him this year as much as possible.

The other school of thought is the old, “Thanks, but no thanks!” I don’t see Bell receiving a warm welcome in the locker room. So why give Bell the satisfaction of suiting up on Sunday’s?

Unfortunately, finances trump just about everything in today’s professional sports world, and money will play a huge role in the decision making for both parties.

Bell, Oh Bell! (photo, Sporting News)

According to the collective bargaining agreement, Bell has to sign his franchise tender by the 13th or sign a one-year contract with the team to be eligible to play this season. Even if Bell reports to the Steelers facility–and signs on the dotted line–there’s no chance he’ll be in the backfield behind Big Ben next season. If the Steelers franchise-tag Bell again, he would get paid top-tier quarterback type of cash. I don’t see that happening.

Le’Veon Bell has proven two things while chilling out in Miami. First,  you can always be replaced. Second, you don’t get any younger. Put the two together and this is what you get: If Bell thinks any of the other 31 teams in the NFL is going to give him $18+ million per season, he’s got another thing coming.

Conner, on the other hand, will be 24 years old next season with much less mileage on his legs. He costs about $17 million less than what the Steelers have now, which is a Bell-ringing headache.

The Steelers love James Conner and his teammates have his back. Tensions will rise the second Bell enters the locker room. Sure, players should never get involved in somebody else’s contract, but that doesn’t mean they won’t talk about it. And that will almost certainly will have a negative effect on the team.

Don’t get me wrong: Le’Veon Bell is a top-3 NFL running back. He deserves to get paid, but not the amount he’s demanding.

That conclusion is obvious to me, but evidently not to Le’Veon Bell.