Le’Veon Bell will play for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season, but he’s still not pleased with his contract situation.
The running back took to Instagram Live on Wednesday night to interact with fans, and after getting hit with the franchise tag for a second consecutive season just a day earlier, Bell indicated that he will sit out everything “extra” like he did in 2017.
“Honestly, no, I’m not going to sit out. I’m going to be in the facility Week 1,” Bell said, as transcribed by ESPN. “It’s going to be a rerun of last year. I’m not going to (training) camp. I’m not doing nothing else extra, OTAs, none of that.
“I’m going to strictly go to what I have to go to. I want to win every game. I want to have the best statistical career that I possibly can, so I want to play in every game that I can possibly play.”
Bell’s contract negotiations with the Steelers have been pretty contentious. He reportedly is looking to ink a long-term deal worth $14.5 million annually at the minimum, but while he will make in that neighborhood in 2018, it will still be in the limbo of the franchise tag.
While his contract demands are high compared to other running backs, he has proven to be one of the best in the game at his position, and as a result even has gone as far as threatening retirement or sitting out until Week 10 as part of a contract ploy.
He also added Wednesday, however, that he is going to stay in Pittsburgh, and it’s for two reasons.
“Yes, I am going to stay in Pittsburgh,” Bell said. “For one, I don’t have an option. For two, I want to stay in Pittsburgh. So the ultimate goal is to get that done. That’s just the way business goes, so who really knows what’s going to happen?”
Unless the Steelers make a move to sign him long-term, it doesn’t sound like this saga will end anytime soon.
