There has been a new development in the drama surrounding Pittsburgh Steelers’ star running back Le’Veon Bell in this past couple of days. Bell, who is currently staying away from the team, is expected to play for the Steelers’ in Week 8 game against Cleveland Browns according to ESPN‘s sources. The 26-year-old is expected to report to Steelers’ in Week 7 when the team is on a bye.
Le’Veon Bell decided not to show up for the start of the regular season after he and Steelers failed to reach an agreement about a long-term contract. With this holdout, Bell is trying to preserve his body before entering the free agency in 2018.
“I want to play. I want to win games and the playoffs.” – Bell told ESPN on Monday. “But I’ve gotta take this stand. Knowing my worth and knowing I can tear a ligament or get surgery at any time, I knew I couldn’t play 16 games with 400 or more touches.”
After Le’Veon Bell didn’t show up for the first two games of the 2018 season, Pittsburgh Steelers’ started exploring trade options for the player. There were several teams that were interested in acquiring the All-Pro RB, with New York Jets emerging as a front-runner. Still, Bell thinks that he won’t be traded once he shows up and still hopes he could end up re-signing with the Steelers, despite everything that happened.
“I could be naïve or hopeful, but at the end of the day I feel like that’s what’s going to happen,” – he said. “I don’t think they really want me gone. That could be me being prideful. But I’m still holding out hope.“
