Le’Veon Bell officially decided on Tuesday that he is not going to play in the NFL this season, and he has almost certainly played his last snap for the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, some of his former teammates say talk of them dismantling the star running back’s locker this week have been a bit exaggerated.
On Wednesday, Steelers players went through Bell’s locker and messed around with some items, with linebacker Bud Dupree recording a video thanking Bell for the new cleats. But on Thursday, some members of the team said there was nothing malicious about the act and insisted the items will be returned to Bell.
More background from Wednesday’s locker room scene:
Practice squad receiver Tevin Jones, who was in the area of Bell’s locker Wednesday, said about the items: “I’m sure they will get back to him.”
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 15, 2018
Multiple Steelers say Le’Veon Bell’s items were packed up, placed in the back and likely to be shipped to Bell. They stressed nothing malicious, everyone likes Bell. But this was closure. "Now, everybody can really get past it," CB Mike Hilton said.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 15, 2018
It would be hard to blame anyone in the Steelers locker room for being frustrated with Bell. While they might understand the business aspect of his decision, the running back left the team in the dark the entire season, creating an unnecessary distraction that could have been avoided if he just admitted he had no plans to show up.
Some players in Pittsburgh weren’t shy about ripping Bell at the start of the season, so it would be safe to assume their feelings have not changed. That does not, however, mean they’re actually going to steal his stuff.
