If Le’Veon Bell’s goal is to make life as difficult as possible for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s certainly succeeding.
The star running back reportedly is expected to end his lengthy holdout and report to the Steelers in Week 7, but even that deadline looks like a toss-up: Pittsburgh has “not heard anything” from Bell, who has “deployed a strategy that has kept Steelers officials and players in the dark, with no contact with any of them,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning, citing sources.
Again, the expectation is that Bell will report to the team sometime between this Monday and Monday, Oct. 22, but no one in the organization has any idea when he’ll actually return, according to Schefter.
Further complicating matters is that Pittsburgh has a bye in Week 7, which means Bell may not be in any rush to come back. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora also reported Sunday the Steelers still are considering trading the 26-year-old running back if he signs his $14.5 million franchise tag before the Oct. 30 trade deadline.
A few teams have expressed interest in trading for Bell, whose talent is undeniable. But La Canfora reports the market for the three-time Pro Bowler has been “slow to form” — much like his communication with anyone in Pittsburgh, it seems.
