Le’Veon Bell is the one no-show on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ front for Day One of camp. None of this should come as a surprise, speculation running rampant ever since he and the team failed to agree on a long-term deal back on July 17th.
But now, Bell watch begins.
Bell is absent despite the pleas of his teammates. Antonio Brown has easily been the most vocal, calling Bell out on his social media platforms. Yesterday, he said it was “bull****” that Bell might not report on time.
And today, Maurkice Pouncey half-joked he’d give up part of his salary to get Bell to camp right away.
Of course, there isn’t anything else the team can do. By CBA rule, a long-term deal can’t get done. It’s completely up to Bell when he decides to report; the team can’t fine him either since he’s technically not under contract.
He will show up eventually and play the season out on the one year franchise tag. It’s all a matter of when, a question I can bet many players will be asked about daily until his “holdout” ends.
