According to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has had his three game suspension reduced by one game via a settlement with the league.
Tom Brady’s case not the only one resolved by #NFL. Meanwhile, @steelers RB @L_Bell26 suspension has been reduced to 2 games, via settlement
— Jarrett Bell (@JarrettBell) July 28, 2015
Bell, who was suspended in April for violating the leagues substance abuse policy, will now only miss the first two games of the 2015 season against the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers. He will now be eligible to return in Week 3 for the game against the St. Louis Rams.
Bell had reportedly appealed his suspension in April, but the hearing evidently never took place. According to reports, Bell’s attorneys and the NFLPA argued that the running back was being punished under the league’s new drug policy for an offense that occurred under the old policy. The arbitrator encouraged the sides to work toward a settlement.
The Steelers former second-round draft pick was suspended for his August 2014 arrest on DUI and marijuana possession charges. He and then-teammate LeGarrette Blount were pulled over while driving to the airport for a preseason game.
Following the news of Bell’s suspension reduction, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert released a short statement.
“As I have stated before, we were disappointed in Le’Veon Bell’s actions last August. Le’Veon made a mistake and now he must learn from his mistake and focus on eliminating distractions from his life. We look forward to continuing to work with Le’Veon to try to help him reach his full potential as a person and as a player.”
