Pittsburgh Steelers superstar running back Le’Veon Bell doesn’t appear ready to keep playing unless he gets a major deal.
The Steelers will attempt to franchise tag Bell, and he’s not having any of it.
ESPN reported the following:
The Pittsburgh Steelers have informed Le’Veon Bell that they will apply the franchise tag to him for the second consecutive year in the absence of an unlikely deal by Tuesday’s deadline, Bell told ESPN.
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“We’re not coming to a number we both agree on — they are too low, or I guess they feel I’m too high,” Bell said. “I’m playing for strictly my value to the team. That’s what I’m asking. I don’t think I should settle for anything less than what I’m valued at.”
Bell said he wasn’t bluffing when he told ESPN in January that he’ll contemplate retirement if asked to play on the tag another year.
Yikes, this sounds bad if you’re a Pittsburgh fan. I really don’t understand the issue here. The Steelers need Bell on the field. He just simply is way to valuable to be playing this dumb game of chicken with. Pay the man and get it over with. Now, am I saying you should fork over $20 million a year? No, I’m most certainly not, but I do think you could hand him $60 million over four years with $30 guaranteed.
That’s probably a deal that would get Bell to sign on, especially if you front loaded pretty much the whole thing. The Steelers just can’t keep playing this game every single offseason. It’s going to eventually go south really fast and hard, and you’re going to likely see Bell wearing a different team’s jersey.
Bell also appeared to hint at the idea he’s still open to negotiations on Instagram when he posted a photo of himself with the caption, “Pittsburgh: the city that took in a 21-year old kid from small-town Ohio, the city I battled thru adversity in, and the city that I became a man in. I love everything about being a Steeler, being in Pittsburgh, and I want nothing more than to finish the rest of my career in this cityyy!! #26Forever.”
I love some good NFL drama, but this whole Bell situation is just getting old at this point.