PITTSBURGH PA – For the second straight year, the Pittsburgh Steelers and RB Le’Veon Bell fail to agree to a long- term deal, meaning he will play under the Franchise Tag . It’s reported that the Steelers upped their offer, but not enough for him to sign the contract.
Could 2018 be Le’Veon Bell’s last year in Pittsburgh? https://t.co/6TAt3KlNy1 pic.twitter.com/Uq97bk18o0
— NFL (@NFL) July 17, 2018
“His intention was to retire as a Steeler,” Bell’s agent Adisa Bakari said, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. “But now that there’s no deal, the practical reality is, this now likely will Le’Veon’s last season as a Steeler.” Which means that Bell will become an unrestricted free agent after 2018.
“Even though we could not reach a long-term contract agreement with Le’Veon Bell, we are excited he will be with the team in 2018,” Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “Le’Veon will play this season under the exclusive franchise tag designation. After the 2018 season is completed, we again will attempt to work out a long-term contract with Le’Veon in the hope that he will continue his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
to all my Steeler fans, my desire always has been to retire a Steeler…both sides worked extremely hard today to make that happen, but the NFL is a hard business at times…to the fans that had hope, I’m sorry we let youu down but trust me, 2018 will be my best season to date…
— Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) July 16, 2018
It remains to be seen if Bell will miss Camp for the second straight season despite offseason threats to do so. Bell 27, has rushed for 5,336 yards, with 35 TDs and caught 312 passes for 2,660 yards and 7 TDs as a receiver. He’s also made 3 Pro Bowls and is a 2-time All-Pro.
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