Let the great Le’Veon Bell holdout of 2018 begin!
The great Le’Veon Bell holdout of 2018 is on
The star Steelers running back could be playing his final season in Pittsburgh. Tuesday’s Rise ‘n Grind explains that and more.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Or should we say continue since Bell already started his holdout in the spring when he failed to report for Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs and minicamp.
The 4 p.m. ET deadline for franchise tagged players to reach a new deal with their team came and went on Monday with no tagged players finalizing a contract. That was the expectation for Dallas Cowboys defensive DeMarcus Lawrence, Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and Los Angeles Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner. And it probably should have been the expectation for Bell, too, despite some false hope on Sunday from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
Now, Bell will get paid $14,500,000 this season, should he sign the tag.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter added some fuel to Bell’s fire this morning when he reported that it’s possible Bell sits out for the first half of the NFL season due to playing on the tag. If Bell were to do that, his goal would be staying healthy and putting less wear and tear on his body for when he hits free agency in 2019.
It’s highly unlikely Bell will show up for training camp when Steelers veterans are scheduled to report on July 25. Last year, he showed up to the team’s facilities just nine days before the Steelers’ Week 1 game. Will he even offer the Steelers that much of his time this year? Will he fail to show up until the season is actually underway?
Those are the questions we’ll be waiting to see answered in the lead up to Week 1 of the season.
The Steelers open the season with the Browns, Chiefs, Buccaneers and Ravens in Weeks 1-4. Will Bell miss two division games? How far is the star running back willing to let his holdout go?
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The news on Bell certainly shook up Twitter and the idea that he might not play for half a season likely has Bell’s fantasy football dynasty owners in shambles. With that said, ESPN’s Matthew Berry still has Bell as his No. 1 fantasy player for 2018.
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