On Tuesday the Pittsburgh Steelers waived disgruntled running back LeGarrette Blount less than 24 hours after he decided to walk off of the field prior to the game ending Monday night against the Tennessee Titans and according to reports, no team decided he was worth claiming off of waivers.
Former Steelers RB LeGarrette Blount went unclaimed on waivers, per a source. Now free to sign anywhere.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2014
With such a low base salary attached to the contract that he signed with the Steelers during the offseason, it’s perhaps a bit telling that a team in need of a veteran running back didn’t claim the 27-year-old Blount. Now that he’s cleared waivers, Blount is now a free agent and thus free to sign with any team. If he does, one would think it would be for the league minimum based on his accrued years.
One could speculate that teams aren’t willing to run the risk of Blount potentially becoming a cancer in their own locker room based on his actions Monday night. Other teams might just not be impressed with what he’s put on tape so far this season with the Steelers.
While Blount went unclaimed Wednesday, there was some action on the waiver wire at the running back position as the Minnesota Vikings claimed running back Ben Tate off of waivers from the Cleveland Browns. Tate has averaged 3.1 yards per carry this season on 106 carries while Blount has averaged 4.1 on his 65 totes.
There are still six weeks left in the season, however, and even though he doesn’t have the best character, Blount could still wind up with a team that’s in playoff contention down the stretch. We’ll have to wait and see if Blount’s actions Monday night results in his NFL career going up in smoke.
