When I wrote an opinion piece earlier today about the possibility of rescinding the franchise tag for running back Le’Veon Bell, it was under the premise that the decision would be made by the Pittsburgh Steelers based on how the running back’s behavior affected the locker room culture.
While recency bias will have to be weighed, the immediate aftermath of the All-Pro’s decision not to show up today has left his teammates very clearly upset and frustrated, and his offensive linemen in particular sounded off to the media. This post will be updated with further comments.
Maurkice Pouncey on the absence of Le’Veon Bell: “At this point, it’s bigger than business.” #Steelers
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Seems like Maurkice Pouncey wants Le’Veon Bell here. Now. #Steelers @937theFan pic.twitter.com/WEldKCymXu
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 5, 2018
The tone among #Steelers players regarding Le’Veon Bell has changed since Monday. It seems like there was certainly an expectation that he would be here today.
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 5, 2018
Steelers players coming out much stronger on Bell, taking his absence personally. “It’s bigger than business,” M. Pouncey said. Some players felt he played ‘peek-a-boo’ by not committing to absence earlier.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 5, 2018
Pouncey on Bell–“Honestly it’s a little selfish. I’m kinda pissed right now. It sucks that he’s not here. we’ll move on as a team. It doesn’t look like he’ll be in the game plan at this point. Conner looks great. We’ll worry about him in week 2.”
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
Steelers teammates not happy with Le’Veon Bell no show, led by vet G Ramon Foster, their player rep:
“What do you do? here’s a guy who doesn’t give a damn, I guess so we’ll treatit as such. I just hate it came to this. “— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 5, 2018
More Ramon Foster on Bell: “He’s making 7 times what I make twice as much as Al (Villanueva) is making and we’re the guys who do it for him.”
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 5, 2018
More Pouncey on Bell–“At this point go ahead and miss ten (games).”
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey: “The business part…I get it. But not if it’s game day. We have a game this Sunday, we’re all the way into the gameplan and you’re still not here?”
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 5, 2018
Even more Pouncey on Bell–“Obviously it’s Le’Veon over the Steelers & we are the Steelers….At this point it’s bigger than business….Now that it’s game time & You have $14 million looming out there and your team really wants you here…(pauses) at this point we have Conner.
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
Ramon Foster, David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey not siding with Le’Veon Bell now. Foster: “Right now, we’re dealing with the aspect, Do you want to do it for us or do you really want to wait it out? Pounce offered him to come in and still nothing.”
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey on Le’Veon Bell’s agent suggesting he’d like to know #Steelers plan for the RB this year: “That’s just stupid. You can’t play football like that.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Pouncey on Conner–“Stars are made every year. Maybe they will align for him this year.”
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 5, 2018
Ramon Foster on Bell not showing up: “In the ultimate team sport we’ve created a League of individuals, in a sense.” #Steelers
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 5, 2018
David DeCastro wasn’t happy with Le’Veon Bell’s no-show: “We all thought he’d be here today. He makes us all kind of look stupid a little bit.” @TheAthleticPGH
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) September 5, 2018
Foster scoffs at on Bell’s agent saying his client is worried about wear and tear on his body: “….Pounce has a knee, Al has this, Dave has that… so many guys have sacrificed for this game because it’s the ultimate team sport. Its 11 guys doing one job and that’s win.”
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) September 5, 2018
Ramon Foster is over this, cited his injuries, Maurkice Pouncey’s, Alejandro Villanueva having seen people die and others’ dedication to the team:
“I’m tired of the antics.”
— Jacob Klinger (@Jacob_Klinger_) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey is clearly DONE w/ Le’Veon Bell’s absence. Says he’d much prefer Bell just say when he’s going to show up, even if it’s Week 10: “Why play hide and seek? Why let your agent say this? Just man up and tell us what you’re going to do.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
One veteran Steeler told me players waited a day to criticize Bell to give him a chance to come in Wednesday but “he f—ed us.”
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 5, 2018
Cam Heyward on Bell’s absence: “The bus keeps rolling without him. If he gets on the bus later, so be it. We’ll make some stops but it’s not going to stop what we do.” #dkps #steelers
— Chris Bradford (@PghBradford) September 5, 2018
Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey on Bell: “we just finally accept things at some point and you’re like, all right, if you don’t want to be here, t is what it is, hold out for 10 weeks”
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey also issued this reminder: “A star is born every year in the NFL. Did anyone know Kareem Hunt would be an All-Pro before last season? If James Conner didn’t have cancer, he’d have been a first round pick. Just watch him.” #Steelers
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Pouncey: “Obviously it’s Le’Veon over the Steelers and we are the Steelers”
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 5, 2018
Ramon Foster with a big knock on Bell: “My mom died, I went to the funeral and came to camp the next day… Al (Villanueva) has seen people die and has come and given his all to this team.”
He adds, “It’s a little bit tiresome now. I’m tired of the antics.” #Steelers @937theFan
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 5, 2018
Ramon Foster, Steelers player rep, responding to Bell’s agent saying the franchise tag system is broken: “Tell his agent we voted no on the CBA. Until he tells his other clients to save money during the CBA lockout, he doesn’t need to preach about nothing like that.”
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) September 5, 2018
Steelers All-Pro G David DeCastro on Bell absence: “I think we’re all disappointed. What’s the expression? We’re stuck with our foot in our mouth. We all thought he’dbe here.”
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 5, 2018
Asked if the agent is controlling Le’Veon Bells, absence, C Maurkice Pouncey had this gem: “If it’s his agent, hell, I wouldn’t sign with him.”
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) September 5, 2018
All you gotta do is communicate and keep it real with your Oline and they will have your back thru everything……
— Trai Essex (@TraiDay79) September 5, 2018
#Steelers RB James Conner on how much his offensive linemen believe in him/are hyping him right now: “That’s who you most want respect from, the guys blocking for you.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Maurkice Pouncey said of course teammates generally stay out of each other’s contract negotiations, maneuvering, etc. “But at some point, you need to say, ‘I just want to play football.'”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 5, 2018
Foster on how Bell would be received upon return: “I don’t know how well that’s gonna go. “(Expletive), we’re here breaking our back.” Bell absence “disheartening, selfish. Pay me $14 million, OK? Who’s not gonna do that? Whatever his thing is, so be it, but we’re gonna roll.”
— Mike Prisuta (@DVEMike) September 5, 2018
Pouncey “kinda pissed off” at Bell. “At this point, go ahead and miss 10 (games),” after which Bell can report, still be a UFA in ‘19. “Obviously, it’s Le’Veon over the Steelers. At this point, it’s bigger than business. We’re the Steelers and we’re gonna play as the Steelers.”
— Mike Prisuta (@DVEMike) September 5, 2018
One Steelers starter said what Le’Veon Bell is doing is “embarrassing.” He said he doesn’t want to sound old-fashioned, but thought you played the game as a team, not an individual.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) September 5, 2018
