×

Bell, Steelers both handling contract situation the right way

Le'Veon Bell

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, per NFL.com, turned down a 5-year, $70 million contract on Monday, the final offer the club made ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline for teams to negotiate a new contract with their franchise player.

The deal apparently wasn’t loaded with any substantial guarantees. According to Ian Rapoport, the contract included $33 million in guaranteed money, which was going to be paid out over the first two years.

Let’s be clear, Bell isn’t being selfish by turning the contract down. And the Steelers aren’t wrong if they let Bell walk after this season.

This is how the NFL works.

Bell is a 26-year old running back who carries a heavy workload. How heavy? Over his first five seasons in the league, Bell has carried the ball 1,229 times in addition to the 312 receptions he has. That includes a ridiculous 321 carries and 85 receptions last year.

He is a workhorse who has already endured a serious injury in his career, a career that, history tells us, probably won’t last past the age of 30. The shelf life of a star running back is pretty short, and, while it’s possible Bell could be the exception, it’s unlikely.

The deal the Steelers reportedly offered would have made him the highest paid running back in the league. It was a fair offer. Maybe another team will offer more next offseason, maybe they won’t.

Critics will point to Bell’s injury history and marijuana related offenses and say he isn’t worth it, that he’s being a spoiled diva on a team full of spoiled divas. Part of that statement might be true, but don’t for a second think that the Steelers would all of a sudden welcome his departure.

From the Steelers perspective, they have played this correctly as well.

They offered Bell a fair deal, one that represents his value to the team as arguably the league’s best running back.

But they shouldn’t be heartbroken if he leaves after the season, and here’s why.

Of the last four Super Bowl winners, only one, the 2016-17 Patriots, had a 1,000 yard rusher. The days of the feature back aren’t dead, but more and more, you see running back tandems more so than one guy carrying the entire load.

The Eagles used that strategy to great effect last season and the Patriots have done it for years.

The Steelers could, in 2019, conceivably acquire a running back either in the middle rounds of the draft or on the cheap in free agency, pair him with 2017 third round pick James Conner, and use the money they saved by not resigning Bell to bolster a defense that was torched by the pedestrian Jaguars’ offense in a 45-42 home loss in the divisional playoffs last season.

I think Bell is an unbelievable talent, but he’s not what makes the Steelers offense as great as it has been. That honor goes to arguably one of the 10 best quarterbacks to ever play the game in Ben Roethlisberger, as well as an offensive line that is the best of Roethlisberger’s illustrious career.

The Steelers’ offense is the most exciting in football, but that doesn’t always equate to success. The Patriots and the Eagles, among others, have proven that you don’t need elite talent at running back and receiver to win championships.

I don’t believe either party, the Steelers or Bell, are in the wrong. Bell, whether by the Steelers are somebody else, is going to get paid. And he should.

And the Steelers, with or without Bell, will still be one of the NFL’s best teams.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today