The Pittsburgh Steelers will officially be without Le’Veon Bell for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, as the running back did not report Saturday as the team hoped he would.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Steelers hit the road to travel to Cleveland on Saturday, and Bell was not with them.
This means Bell forfeits a $855,000 game check, and that second-year back, James Conner, will be the starter on Sunday in Cleveland.
Steelers players haven’t held back their anger about this situation. Per multiple reports, they expected Bell to report on Wednesday this week. When that did not happen, a few of them publicly ripped into him in a way we’ve never before seen from teammates during a contract dispute.
This situation does not appear to be one that will resolve itself any time soon. At this point, the Steelers and their fans should brace themselves for the back to miss the first 10 games this season.