Le’Veon Bell is losing the support of many teammates as he fails to report to camp with the season beginning this week.
Center Maurkice Pouncey is particularly upset that Bell is playing games and not making it clear when he will join the team. He said the team is ready to switch their support to backup running back James Conner.
Pouncey on Bell–"Honestly it's a little selfish. I'm kinda pissed right now. It sucks that he's not here. we'll move on as a team. It doesn't look like he'll be in the game plan at this point. Conner looks great. We'll worry about him in week 2."
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
More Pouncey on Bell–"At this point go ahead and miss ten (games)."
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
Even more Pouncey on Bell–"Obviously it's Le'Veon over the Steelers & we are the Steelers….At this point it's bigger than business….Now that it's game time & You have $14 million looming out there and your team really wants you here…(pauses) at this point we have Conner.
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey on Le’Veon Bell’s agent suggesting he’d like to know #Steelers plan for the RB this year: “That’s just stupid. You can’t play football like that.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey is clearly DONE w/ Le’Veon Bell’s absence. Says he’d much prefer Bell just say when he’s going to show up, even if it’s Week 10: “Why play hide and seek? Why let your agent say this? Just man up and tell us what you’re going to do.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Left guard Ramon Foster unloaded on Bell as well, pointing out how much the running back already gets paid compared to the linemen who block for him.
More Ramon Foster on Bell: “He’s making 7 times what I make twice as much as Al (Villanueva) is making and we’re the guys who do it for him.”
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 5, 2018
Players usually support each others’ causes when it comes to contract matters, but things have changed in Pittsburgh. The guys who have reported to the team have goals in mind and are working towards winning games. Bell is not there to join them for that effort, which is a slap in the face to his teammates. They’re now letting him know that.
Bell is playing under the franchise tag this year after turning down a long-term deal from the Steelers in the offseason that he felt undervalued him. There were rumors he would report on Labor Day, but as of Wednesday, the running back still had not reported to the team.
Causing additional uncertainty is that Bell still has not made clear when he will report. His agent even suggested in a radio interview on Wednesday that Bell might not report until Week 10.
