The long-debated question surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers may finally have an answer.
Le’Veon Bell is expecting to report to the Steelers during the team’s Week 7 bye, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Le'Veon Bell expects to report to the Steelers during the Week 7 bye, a source told @ESPN. Bell definitely plans to play football for the Steelers this season.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 1, 2018
Bell was franchise-tagged by the Steelers but did not sign his tender. He did not feel the pay from the franchise tag was commensurate with his value on the open market, so he did not want to risk his health by playing in more games than he had to before hitting free agency. All Bell needs to do to accrue a year towards free agency is report by Week 10.
The Steelers are 1-2-1 and have games at home against Atlanta and at Cincinnati before their Week 7 bye. If Bell reports during the bye, he would miss the first six games of the season and potentially make his season debut against the Browns in Week 8, allowing him to play in 10 regular season games.
The Steelers have ranked 28th in the league in rushing yards per game without Bell. James Conner has been pressed into starting duties and has been up-and-down.
