Le’Veon Bell has told some of his teammates that he will report to the Steelers on Labor Day, Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette hears. If Bell is in the building on Sept. 3, he’ll be able to participate in the team’s first day of practice before the season opener. 
Bell has abstained from training camp after receiving a second consecutive franchise tag which is worth $14.5MM this time around. Last year, Bell also held out from camp, but officially reported on Sept. 4.
It remains to be seen how the Steelers will use Bell in the season opener. Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner could give Bell his typical workload, or he could start the year by splitting the carries between Bell and backup James Conner.
“That’s a hard question because it’s Le’Veon,” Fichtner said recently. “You’d like to think that he’ll be in good shape. But we’ll have to evaluate where he’s at — conditioning, health, things like that. Using him in the best way to help us win early will be the most important thing. There will be some things he can do that quite frankly most people who play his position can’t do. But that’s not anything against the running backs that have gone through training camp with us because they’ve done a heck of a job, including James.”
Despite his dissatisfaction with the team and his contract, it sounds like Bell will show up for work as scheduled. However, this may be his final season in black and yellow.
If Bell is going to report it must mean Dairy Queen is closed on Labor Day.
I honestly hope that the Steelers sit him out for the first game or 2 this season. He looked so out of tune with the rest of the offense in Week 1 last year, and even though it was an internal promotion they are breaking in a new offensive coordinator this year. Let him get back up to game speed, shape and knowledge first; it could pay dividends later on in the season.
So what your really telling us is that you don’t have him on your fantasy team roster.
Not yet, anyways… my draft is tomorrow. 😉
My draft is tonight, really hope im not faced with picking 2nd or 3rd with Bell on the board..
He knows he’s not getting a deal. The best the Steelers will offer was already offered. Show up and play the game with your TEAM. Too late now though. It was obvious he needed to be at camp and preseason last year. Why should this year be any different? I’ve lost a lot of respect for Bell. Hopefully he can prove me wrong and start off the season being the best back in the league
It seems inevitable that this will escalate into an ugly divorce.
I have #2 pick. Not sure I can take bell….he has been money in the past. New OC…out of game shape…po’d about contract….lots of mouths to feed in Pitt…