The Pittsburgh Steelers may have been open to trading Le’Veon Bell in advance of the NFL’s deadline, but you can’t trade a player who is not under contract.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, Bell is not going to be traded. The main reason for that is that he did not show up prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, meaning he still has not signed his franchise tender.
Not that there was much doubt, but Steelers' RB Le'Veon Bell won't be traded, because he can't be traded, because he still hasn't reported to the Steelers' and signed his franchise tender as of 1 pm. Without signing by 4 pm today, he can't be dealt. So no Bell trade this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 30, 2018
In theory, Bell could show up and sign the tender if the Steelers were able to agree to terms with another team. However, that has always been unlikely to happen. It’s possible that blocking Pittsburgh from trading him was part of Bell’s plan all along, as this should now allow him to become a free agent this offseason and choose his next destination.
