Le’Veon Bell’s Contract Update Is Promising But Firm
While he moved up four spots to rank fifth on the NFL's Top 100 list, Le'Veon Bell still doesn't have a long-term contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That might seem odd considering his status as a star running back, and one who was given the franchise tag for the organization for the second-straight year, but Bell is only slightly worried.
Bell and the Steelers have less than three weeks to find common ground on a new deal. Still, Bell is feeling good about the optics of that happening and that he'll be able to stay in Pittsburgh and arrive on time to join the team in training camp. That said, the potential is there that Bell could once again sit out camp for the second-consecutive season. When speaking to the NFL Network, Bell said, “Obviously, the people in the organization try to do what’s best for them and I’m trying to do what’s best for me. We’re working on it. We’re a lot closer than we were last year at this time. That’s what I’m happy about."
At the same time, Bell is being a realist on what it means to be close but not actually having something finalized. "None of that matters if we don’t get it done."
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Bell is slated to earn $14.5MM this year, but the Steelers and Bell have until July 16, 2018, to work out a long-term deal. If that doesn’t happen by the deadline, the two sides can't revisit a new deal until after the season."Hopefully, we’ll try to get something done. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I got confidence we’ll get it done. I want to do it," Bell said.
Bell is reportedly seeking $17 million per year on a new deal that more accurately reflects his value as one of the game's best running backs, not to mention what he's offering the team in terms of receiving options. He's already turned down a five-year deal worth more annually than the 2017 franchise-tag figure of $12.1 million.
If a new deal cannot be reached, it is unclear what Bell expects to do. He says he wants to report to training camp but he added, "obviously I got to do what I got to do. Take my stand and protect myself."
