It’s been nearly two months since Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was suspended for the first three games of the 2015 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy last August and while he reportedly filed an appeal almost immediately after his discipline was handed down, we haven’t heard anything about when a hearing might take place, if it hasn’t already.
On Wednesday, I asked former sports agent Joel Corry if he knew if there is a reason why it is taking so long for Bell’s appeal to be heard, or the results of it if it has, and what normally is the time frame for off-the-field hearings. He told me that hearings normally take place within 30 days of filing the appeal, but that the parties can agree to a different timeframe and that a longer period is most likely during the offseason.
That certainly does make sense and there’s a chance that Bell’s hearing has already taken place and that the outcome of it is dependent on how well he behaves and acts prior to the start of training camp. Bell reportedly said recently that he hasn’t heard from his agent about a ruling, so that leads one to believe that his hearing has already happened.
So, is there still a chance that Bell ultimately has his three-game suspension shortened? Absolutely and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com recently wrote about three reasons why that could happen. As long as Bell continues to keep his nose clean between now and the start of training camp, I will be shocked if his suspension isn’t reduced by at least one game. Just continue to be patient.
