Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert made it clear Tuesday that he wasn’t happy star running back Le’Veon Bell has not yet shown up to work.
However, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Bell’s teammates expect him to show up on Wednesday and sign his franchise tag in time to play in Week 1.
From our @NFLGameDay Season Preview Show: Where is #Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell and what's the latest on #Seahawks star S Earl Thomas? pic.twitter.com/gibjSLmLjF
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 5, 2018
“His teammates believe that he is going to be there on Wednesday — that is what everyone believes. Except, there’s no guarantee he actually shows up. So until Bell shows up, James Conner is going to be the starting running back. Of course, they believe and hope he’s going to be there. But still — a mystery.”
Last year, Bell held out right until it was time for him to play in Week 1 as well. So, assuming that’s his plan this time around, the All-Pro running back should be able to slide right into his starting spot and have a strong start to the 2018 season.
However, Conner has shown this preseason that he’s more than capable of taking over, should Bell opt not to come in and sign his contract. Remember, retiring is something that the running back threatened to do if the Steelers used the franchise tag on him again this year, and at this point nobody knows what’s on his mind.