For normal people, Labor Day weekend means an extra day to catch up on sleep, eat some good food, or spend some time with family. For crazy sports fans like myself, it means fantasy drafts, the start of college football, and tons of late breaking NFL news before the opening week. The news broke early on Saturday September 1st, when Khalil Mack signed a 6-year, $141 million extension with the Chicago Bears, reactions from his fans and his peers came flooding in. One of these peers, one Le’Veon Bell, commented on the good fortune “Money Mack” had struck, while seemingly musing about his own nonexistent payday on Twitter.
Two days after this interaction, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their first practice to break in opening week of the 2018-19 year. Bell was not at that practice. Fans of the black and gold have been here before, though their frustration was very clear across multiple social media platforms. This time last year was the first appearance Bell made on Labor Day, after skipping training camp and all of preseason. The man is an offensive juggernaut and he has been vocal about wanting to be paid what he is truly worth, holding out to reiterate this point to the powers that be.
Last year, Le’Veon Bell held out on the franchise tag. Fans were irate. Management was frustrated. Some of his teammates noted how awkward it was, while others supported him. Then he returned. The first few weeks were shaky and panelists on sports waves mused about how he may be rusty as a result of not having as much training and practice as the rest of the squad. The team still managed to wrangle a 13-3 record, their best since 2004, also clinching the AFC North division title. Per NFL.com , “The Juice” ended up with 1,291 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns total last year.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that Bell had sent him a message explaining why he was holding out before training camp, he said he had not heard from him since and that others within the Steelers organization had tried to reach out. Yes, that team has the resident Madden 19 cover athlete, Antonio Brown, who can catch a ball from just about anywhere, at any time, and at any angle. Yes, they have an elite, seasoned QB at the helm of the ship, who says he feels like he is in the best shape of his life after shedding some weight this offseason. Yes they have determined sophomores trying not to just live up to the family name, but surpass it, looking at you TJ Watt. They also have electrifying and entertaining players like rookie Terrell Edmunds, USC darling Juju Smith-Schuster, and dependable kicker Chris Boswell. None of this changes the fact that Le’Veon Bell is a game-changer for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Some players scare easy when the home crowd isn’t there to cheer them on. Bell, however, averaged 717 yards, 6 TDs, and 39 first downs when playing a road game last year. Bright lights in crunch time? No problem. Last year, the part-time rapper averaged 706 yards and 6 TDs (2 more than his 1st half avg.) in the 2nd half to close out. Adversity doesn’t seem to phase him much either. Bell averaged 139 yards and 3 TDs when his team was down 9-16 points.
On the one hand, it’s easy to understand Steelers fan who are frustrated by the perennial All-Star’s continuous absences. Tuning in every game of the NFL season, everyone has their favorites and there is a sense of comfort and stability in knowing that your team has such an abundant offensive lineup. Consistency is key and the fans feel like Le’Veon’s off the field antics may be clouding the work he does on the field for the team.
His fellow players may be frustrated as well because practicing how you play is pivotal. When any one person is missing at practice, it can’t be easy to incorporate them on Sunday morning. On the other hand, you have an All-Pro running back who is watching people get paid the big bucks by their franchises, while his franchise seems to be undervaluing him.
It’s a complex situation. when asked, Coach Tomlin mentioned that when Le’Veon Bell arrives, they will deal with that situation, but for now he will focus on the other men on his roster. I for one hope to see Bell back sooner than later because I’m not sure continuing to hold out helps his chances for cutting a large check from another team next season, but I do know that it sure doesn’t help the relationships on his current team either. Then you have a young hungry, capable player in James Conner, who is waiting in the wings, just in case Bell flakes during that first game. Conner has the jets, the intellect, and the ambition to shine on that stage in the meantime and no one can fault him for taking the opportunity.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to take on the Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, and the rest of the Cleveland Browns on this coming Sunday, September 9th.
