Star running back Le’Veon Bell has made it clear that he wants to stay in the black in yellow.
Bell, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, has made it be known that his preference is to stay with the Steelers.
“Obviously, I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler so obviously we’re going to try to do everything it takes to make that happen,” Bell said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Le’Veon Bell has had a fantastic season despite missing 3 games due to a missed drug test. He ranks 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards (1,268) only behind Ezekiel Elliot. However, he leads the NFL in 157 yards scrimmage yards per game which combine rushing and receiving statistics. There is no denying that Le’Veon Bell is one of the top 3 backs in the game (David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliot being the others in no particular order).
Bell, 24, will likely get the franchise tag this upcoming offseason. Two offseason suspensions and two significant knee injuries in 2014 and 2015 might prohibit him from getting the kind of money he wants long term. We all know paying running backs can sometimes haunt teams long term. The $12 million franchise tag will have to be sufficient while the Steelers and Bell work out a long term contract.
