Latest On Le'Veon Bell Saga
The Le’Veon Bell saga is coming to a head, as the Steelers running back must sign his franchise tender by November 13 to be eligible to play for any team this season. But as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, the CBA does not dictate that Bell must report by that day, only that he sign the tender. That means that Bell could sign the tender and not report until next Saturday, which would make him eligible to be added to the roster for next Sunday’s game — not that he would be playing in that game regardless — or he could just not sign the tender at all and skip the entire season.
The latter option is not considered likely at this time, but La Canfora says that if Bell does skip the entire 2018 campaign, the Steelers would strongly consider slapping the franchise or transition tag on him next offseason, which would of course set up another drama-filled battle. La Canfora further reports that no rival clubs called Pittsburgh at last week’s trade deadline in an attempt to acquire Bell.
More Clarity On Artie Burns' Status
- Artie Burns did not play a snap in the Steelers‘ win over the Browns on Sunday. Mike Tomlin said he benched the former first-round cornerback because he was late for a walkthrough, but Burns said Wednesday (via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) he was back with the starters at practice. Coty Sensabaugh started in place of Burns in Week 8.
Le'Veon Bell Has Two Weeks To Report
- As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler points out (via Twitter), the Steelers unwillingness to trade Le’Veon Bell means the running back will now have two weeks to report to the team. If the Pro Bowler fails to show up by November 13th, he won’t be allowed to play this season. Fowler notes that Bell is still intending on playing this season, but he still hasn’t informed the Steelers of his plans.
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Steelers Unable To Trade Le’Veon Bell
We’re in the midst of an action-packed deadline day, but Le’Veon Bell won’t be among the star players changing teams. The running back has yet to sign his franchise tender, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, so the Steelers will not be able to trade him before the 4pm ET/3pm CT trade deadline. 
Bell and the Steelers are almost certainly headed for divorce in the offseason, but Bell has boxed the team in by holding out and refusing to go along with any potential midseason trade. Bell wants to turn in the best second half possible in order to maximize his free agent value and that means staying in the only NFL offense he’s ever known.
Of course, that’s a bit of a gamble on Bell’s part. When Bell returns to the Steelers, he’ll join a club that has found a bonafide RB1 in James Conner. Bell may see less touches than he has in previous years – something that he is in favor of as he looks to protect his odometer – which could cap his production.
Despite all of the drama, the Steelers are undoubtedly eager to get Bell back on the field. Barring any additional hiccups, the All-Pro should be in uniform for the Steelers’ Week 9 game against the Ravens and no later than the team’s Week 10 tilt against the Panthers.
Steelers Still Hope To Trade Le'Veon Bell
The Steelers are still hopeful that they can trade Le’Veon Bell and net a third-round pick or better in return before Tuesday’s deadline, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Bell, as we heard earlier this week, does not want to be traded, and given that he would need to sign his franchise tender before he can be dealt, he holds all the cards in that regard. La Canfora tweets that Bell (predictably) balked at returning to the Steelers on the exempt list, so there are still plenty of moving pieces to keep an eye on before this situation is finally resolved.
Steelers Looking For Cornerback Help
- Patrick Peterson is either off the market, or the Cardinals are orchestrating an impressive smokescreen, so cornerback-needy teams will need to look elsewhere. Some are gauging whether the Raiders would trade another Reggie McKenzie first-round pick, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweeting teams are inquiring about Gareon Conley. Janoris Jenkins is the other player contenders are monitoring, but Conley is only in his second season. He is, however, one of the many Raiders who’ve seen their stock drop under Jon Gruden. The Raiders benched Conley prior to their London game; he’d started the previous five Oakland games after missing almost all of his rookie season due to a shin injury. However, the Raiders aren’t believed to be ready to part with Conley. JLC adds the Eagles, Patriots and Steelers are among the teams exploring what it would take to land a corner.
Le’Veon Bell Not Seeking Trade
Le’Veon Bell‘s arrival window was believed to be in between the Steelers’ Week 6 and Week 8 games. He remains away from the team, however, continuing a drama-filled year.
The Steelers have received interest from other teams regarding their holdout superstar and have barely a week left to trade him. Of course, Bell would have to show up and sign his franchise tender in order for that to occur, and he may not be interested in doing that.
With the purpose of his holdout being to maximize his 2019 free agency value, Bell does not want to be traded, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). The five-year veteran running back does not want to learn a new offense in a short time; he wants to return to the system he knows, deliver production down the stretch to set him up for free agency.
Some in the NFL would not be surprised if Bell shows up shortly after the 3pm Oct. 30 trade deadline, reporting to the Steelers in advance of their Week 9 game, per Rapoport.
Bell, in fact, will not report to the Steelers this week, Jim Trotter of NFL.com reports (Twitter link), giving this post-deadline arrival rumor legs.
The 26-year-old Steeler could do this and avoid being traded, and with another afternoon coming and going with Bell away from his team, a post-deadline arrival possibility increases.
Bell’s agent, Adisa Bakari, spoke to the Steelers about the specifics of a two-week roster exemption, indicating perhaps his client is moving closer to a return. Art Rooney II also doesn’t expect Bell will be traded. So, Bell may well not have a bridge team prior to free agency but instead use his presumably final Steelers stretch to finalize his offseason stock.
Le’Veon Bell Still Has Not Reported To Steelers
Running back Le’Veon Bell has still not reported to the Steelers as they begin preparations for Week 8, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Bell had been expected to report to the Steelers during the club’s Week 7 bye, but he never actually showed up. The All-Pro back hasn’t been clear about his exact plans, but he’s still likely to show up at some point this season, if not this week. On Sunday, Steelers owner Art Rooney II said he didn’t expect his club to trade Bell, while Bell himself holds something of a no-trade clause, as he can simply not sign his franchise tender until the NFL’s trade deadline passes on October 30.
If Bell does report this week and sign his franchise tag, he’d be entitled to his weekly salary of $855K. However, the Steelers could potentially use a roster exemption for Bell, which would allow the club to withhold his pay. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explained earlier this month, Bell and the Steelers would need to agree to a pay rate if and when Bell is placed on the exempt list. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Sunday that Pittsburgh had discussed the terms of a roster exemption with Bell’s agent.
At last check, Bell hasn’t informed the Steelers of his exact plans. However, when he does show up, the Steelers are expected to use a running back tandem of both Bell and incumbent James Conner. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently campaigned for Conner, who is currently second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns and sixth in rushing yards per game, to retain a role once Bell returns.
Steelers Owner Does Not Expect Le’Veon Bell Trade
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.
Le’Veon Bell Won’t Report This Week
The Steelers are not expecting running back Le’Veon Bell to return to the team this week, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bell plans on suiting up for the Steelers in their Week 8 game, so it’s anyone’s guess as to why he wouldn’t formally report this week and collect a free game check.
By staying away through Week 7, Bell will forfeit a chance at earning $855K. Meanwhile, the Steelers will have to wait and see if he’ll stick to his plan and show up before the team’s game against the Browns on Sunday, Oct. 28.
Bell’s bye week paycheck was not guaranteed, since the Steelers could have used a roster exemption for Bell, allowing them to withhold his pay. But, in that instance, the two sides could have compromised on a pay rate that would have given him partial compensation during the bye. In any event, Bell has decided to extend his holdout a bit longer.
It will be interesting to see how Bell is received in the locker room once he returns and how Steelers coaches plan to use him. James Conner has been exceptional in Bell’s absence and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has campaigned for him to retain a role even once Bell returns.
“I will push for James to get as much run as we can because we’ve seen some great things from him in all phases of football,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s picking up blitzes, he’s catching the ball, he’s running hard and making plays and playing with a passion, so we need to keep using that.”