Earl Thomas’ injury seems to have made Le’veon Bell more determined than ever to prove his point.
The Pittsburgh Steelers running back reacted to the broken leg the Seattle Seahawks safety suffered Sunday with a promise to “be the bad guy” on behalf of his fellow NFL players.
“smh exactly … get right bro bro @earl!” Bell wrote in the comment section of ESPN’s Instagram post about Thomas being carted off the field. “I’ll continue to be the ‘bad guy’ for ALL of us.”
Bell was referencing his ongoing holdout from the Steelers, as well as Thomas’ decision to end his holdout and return to the field before suffering a leg fracture in Week 4 that likely will end his season.
Thomas, 29, held out during the preseason after the Seahawks refused to meet his demands for a long-term contract extension or trade him. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer will be a free agent after this season, but the injury undoubtedly represents a blow to his market value.
Bell, 26, has extended his holdout through the first four weeks of the season, drawing sharp criticism from the Steelers organization and some teammates and fans. Nevertheless the All-Pro running back is sticking to his demand the Steelers pay him what he wants or trade him.
The way Bell’s holdout story contrasts with Thomas’ perfectly illustrates why he has taken such a position and will continue to do so.
