Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers have come up against another deadline. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le’Veon Bell have until 4 p.m. ET on Monday to work out a new contract. Otherwise, Bell will play the season under his franchise-tagged salary of about $14.544 million and then almost certainly will become an unrestricted free agent entering the 2019 season.
Or will he?
“I think it’s possible Le’Veon Bell sits out the first half of the year if he doesn’t get a long-term deal done,” ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter said Monday during an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio. “The goal at that point would be to hit 2019 free agency healthy, not rack up another 400 touches.”
Bell himself hinted at such a move in March, two months after he said he would contemplate retirement if forced to play a second consecutive season under the franchise tag.
“I just have to decide if I’m going to play when the time comes,” he told ESPN.
NBC Sports’ Peter King reported Monday that Bell “continues to be confident he’ll get a long-term deal,” and for good reason: The 26-year-old has averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game over his career, the highest number since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970. He’s a strong pass-blocker and a strong pass-catcher, with at least 75 receptions in three of his five NFL seasons. Bell also led the NFL last season with 321 carries. Basically, he never leaves the field when Pittsburgh has the ball, yet he’s only averaged slightly more than $5 million per season in salary.
The Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott, meanwhile, has earned nearly $18 million over the first two years of his career. The Rams’ Todd Gurley will average nearly $6 million over his first four seasons. Both were first-round draft picks; Bell was not, a fact that has hindered his earning potential.
But the Steelers apparently are not willing to budge from their long-held mind-set where no player’s salary is guaranteed beyond that particular season. And for every stat that Bell can point to, there’s also this:
“I’m the one to bet on myself. And I’ll do it again,” Bell said in March. “I understand how the Steelers do contracts. Last year, I was pounding the table on guaranteed money. That’s not the case. If I’m not getting guaranteed money, I want a lot more up front. . . . It’s year-to-year with the Steelers. Essentially if I sign a four- or five-year deal, I’m playing four or five franchise tags.
“Earlier I said I felt we would get one done, and this year we are a lot closer than last year. In good spirit, I feel we can get something done.”
Bell has yet to sign his franchise-tag tender and has not had any contact with his teammates since the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Jaguars in January. Until he signs, he cannot be forced to participate in team activities, and last year he didn’t sign his tender until six days before the first game of the regular season in September. Under the CBA, he can wait until November to sign the tender and still earn an accrued season of service, opening the door to free agency and the open market. Apparently, it’s on the table.
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