12:07pm: Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports (via Twitter) that Bell’s agent did speak with the team about the terms of a two-week roster exemption late last week. That would seem to indicate that Bell is getting closer to reporting, but of course nothing will come easy in this never-ending drama. Glazer says that the Steelers do not want to pay Bell during the exemption period, which obviously will not sit well with Bell and his camp.
08:25am: Steelers owner Art Rooney II does not expect his team to trade running back Le’Veon Bell, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Of course, the trade deadline is just nine days away, and Bell has yet to report to the Steelers — which is just one of many obstacles to a Bell trade — so Rooney’s take may be more of a comment on the reality of the situation than anything else.
Indeed, although Rooney said “I expect [Bell] to be a member of the team going forward,” Rapoport writes that Rooney is resigned to the scenario that most around the league expect to play out: Bell will report to the team sometime soon, will form a potentially formidable 1-2 punch with fellow running back James Conner, and then sign with a different club in the offseason. Conner has been thriving in Bell’s stead and is averaging 4.4 yards per rush to go along with 26 catches for 257 yards in 6 games and seven scores.
Rooney appears just as uncertain as everyone else about exactly when Bell will show up, and there are some who believe that Bell will wait until after the trade deadline if he is not dealt before then. But Rooney said there has been no discussion of adding money back to Bell’s ever-dwindling franchise tag number to convince him to report, and he added that conversations between the Steelers and Bell’s agent have been minimal.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports confirms that no one in the organization has any clarity as to when Bell will report, and several Steelers execs do expect him to wait until after the deadline. Although the team could agree to trade terms with another club without Bell having signed his tender, and then allow Bell to speak with the acquiring team to complete the transaction, there has been very little movement on the trade front.
Nobody will trade for Bell unless he shows up before the deadline. I’d be happy if he just sat the year out. It’s pretty obvious now that his numbers come more from his O line than his running style.
He will sit out till after the deadline to ensure he isn’t sent to a situation he doesn’t like or that doesn’t fit his style.
Let him run go patterns every play
He’s one of the best running backs in the game … obviously you haven’t watched Bell play much over the years ..
Shocker! The same two idiots with idiotic posts on all things Bell.
I am not Steelers fan; however, Bell is a complete disgrace as a man. No other teams should even consider signing a guy who won’t honor his contract terms.
Sign the tag, take your 10 Million and move on next year .
I don’t like bell at all. However, he has no contract to honor. If he doesn’t sign the tag in the first place he has no terms to live up to.
Your knowledge of how the CBA works is a disgrace. He’s not UNDER contract. He has an option to not sign Franchise Tag Tender, sit out til week 10, which was negotiated in the current CBA.
Nor does he get paid and will not become a free agent if he doesn’t sign it!
He has until week 10 to report.
What happens after week 10? Free agent?
##GoSteelTowny!!!
#PittsGoingAlleyDaWayDisYeuh!!
#Chammy!!!!!!!!
Bell is going to retire from football, open a Dairy Queen franchise back in Ohio and then expand on his music career.
Steelers fan. Don’t like Bell. Never have. But he’s the best RB in the league and deserves to b paid as the best RB. He thinks he should b paid RB and WR money which won’t happen. Pittsburgh has never broke the bank on players. That includes Ben and Antonio. They get market value. Not more then the last highest salary at that position money. I wish Bell luck next year on the Jets or Browns losing games