Le’Veon Bell still is not with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates as he holds out in protest after failing to sign a long-term deal with the team. But that could be changing very soon.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Bell is likely to stay out of the picture this next week but could return following the team’s third preseason game.
“Le’Veon Bell is expected to stay away from the Pittsburgh Steelers for Week 3 of the preseason, a source tells ESPN. The source would be surprised, however, if Bell isn’t back with the Steelers shortly after that, citing his love for football.”
This timeline is very close to another report a couple weeks back that indicated Bell would be returning to the Steelers before the regular season begins. The Steelers and their fans are crossing their fingers right now, hoping Bell can return in time to get himself into football shape in time for the regular-season grind.
There isn’t another playmaker on the team — no offense intended to Antonio Brown intended — that can consistently gash defenses the way Bell can. He gained 157 yards per game last year during the regular season and scored nine touchdowns after returning from his four-game suspension.
Bell’s value was clearly seen when the Steelers’ offense fell apart in the AFC Championship Game after he was sidelined with a groin injury. Needless to say, the Steelers need Bell in a big way if they’re going to make it to another Super Bowl before Ben Roethlisberger hangs it up for good.