Le’Veon Bell Appeal Ruling To Come By Aug. 18

In a matter of weeks, the Steelers should know whether they’ll have the services of Le’Veon Bell for the first month of the season, according to Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. The Steelers are expecting to find out Bell’s status by August 18, the date of their second preseason game. Le'Veon Bell (vertical)

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If he is unsuccessful in his appeal, Bell will be suspended for the team’s first four regular-season games following a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Of course, this isn’t Bell’s first run-in with the league office. In 2015, Bell was suspended for the first two games of the season due to an arrest for marijuana possession and DUI.

Between Bell’s suspension and injury last season, the tailback appeared in only six games for the Steelers in 2015. Despite Bell’s 10-game absence, the Steelers had the eighth-best yards-per-carry average in the league last season, when DeAngelo Williams amassed 907 yards and 11 touchdowns on 200 carries in his age-32 campaign.

If Bell is sidelined for the first month of the season, the Steelers will likely use Williams as their primary back until he returns. Behind Williams, the Steelers also have backs Fitzgerald Toussaint and Daryl Richardson, as shown on Roster Resource.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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