The Pittsburgh Steelers may have come away with a disappointing result against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but their 21-21 tie seemingly had very little to do with Le’Veon Bell’s absence. For that reason, people have begun wondering if the star running back is expendable.
Second-year back James Conner did his best Bell impression on Sunday, rushing for 135 yards and two scores on 31 carries and adding five catches for 57 yards. With Conner’s outstanding performance and a holdout that may not end any time soon, online sportsbook BetOnline.AG believes there’s a 4/1 chance Bell’s time with the Steelers is nearing an end.
Online sportsbook @betonline_ag releases odds on where Le'Veon Bell will end up next season pic.twitter.com/qYxDBkb4tA
— Steve DelVecchio (@SteveDelSports) September 10, 2018
If the Steelers believe Conner can be their guy for the remainder of the season, it might make sense to trade Bell and get something in return for him before he leaves via free agency. They may not have a ton of leverage, but a mid-round draft pick would be better than Bell not showing up until Week 10.
Plus, some of Bell’s teammates have begun openly expressing frustration with him, and the team seemed thrilled about Conner’s career-best day against Cleveland. If Bell has no plans to show up and has fallen out of favor with people in the locker room, a trade could be the only option.
