Le’Veon Bell is expected to report to the Pittsburgh Steelers at some point during the Week 7 bye so he can play against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 28, but he has apparently not informed the team of his intentions.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bell has not spoken with any Steelers players or officials to let them know when he will be returning. The star running back has kept everyone in the dark about his status and plans to continue with that approach, meaning he will likely just show up to work one day unannounced.
From a financial standpoint, it makes sense for Bell to report at some point in the next week or so. If Bell shows up and signs his franchise tender during the bye week, he will be able to collect his Week 7 game check. Players are also required to have at least four consecutive days off during the bye week as written in the collective bargaining agreement, which would mean less practice time for Bell.
There have been some reports about the Steelers possibly trading Bell to a running back-needy NFC team, but that seems unlikely to happen. Bell has to return to the team by Week 10 in order to avoid having his contract toll, so he will be back at some point before then. If he wants to collect a game check for a week in which there is no game, he’ll probably show up sooner rather than later.
