Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell puts his credibility and future in Pittsburgh in jeopardy

In July of 2013, the Pittsburgh Steelers were making preparations to solidify the future of their running back position with second-round draft pick Le’Veon Bell set to become a key figure in their offensive backfield for many years.

Fast-forward three years. Yet another incident with the Steelers’ star running back has many questioning whether or not a long-term investment in Bell would be the best decision going forward for the organization.

Bell faces his second suspension in as many years for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport explained that if upheld, the suspension would be for the Steelers’ first four games of the upcoming season.

A little over a month ago, Bell publicly denied that he has missed any drug tests since being admitted into the NFL’s substance abuse program. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Bell saying: “I haven’t missed any drug tests, failed any drug tests. Im fine.”

At the time there was no reason to doubt that Bell was telling the truth. The sting of losing wide receiver Martavis Bryant for a year due to the same issue was still fresh in the hearts and minds of Steelers’ Nation. Hope was high that Bell had learned his lesson and that this would no longer be a concern going forth, but the issue has reared its ugly head once again.

Bell has appealed the suspension that he faces, but it is highly doubtful that he will win his case in this situation. If the NFL has substantial evidence that the All-Pro running back missed “several” drug tests as they say he did, he will not have a leg to stand on in defending himself.

If Bell is clean and has nothing to hide, let it be the fact that he is continuing the use of marijuana, performance enhancers, etc., then there is no reason that he should be missing these tests. Not only is a twenty four year-old adult that should be able to handle his business, but he also has the Steelers’ organization and an agent to remind him that he must do so.

The league will more than likely not be out to do Bell, a repeat offender, any favors, either. His suspension last year was reduced from three games to two as a show of good faith that the running back had learned from his mistakes, but this time they will not be as forgiving.

The Steelers will be cautious from here on out when it comes time to determine Bell’s future with the organization. Whether or not the injuries to his knee will play a factor in a long-term contract is up for debate, but the decision of if he is able to be trusted to stay clean after the conclusion of his rookie contract will be what sways them to make one decision or another. The severity of punishments only get worse from here.

The money that could be used to keep Bell in Pittsburgh could be well spent in other areas of the Steelers’ offense. It could be spent on athletes that the organization knows are dedicated to their team. The contracts of wide receiver Antonio Brown and offensive lineman David DeCastro are close to expiration, and they could be more paramount to the Steelers’ future than Bell.

What makes the matter so disappointing is how much of a point Bell made of going on record to prove to the NFL, the city of Pittsburgh, and possibly himself, that these antics were behind him. In May of last year, in an interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Bell went on to say this about the lesson he “learned” during his first suspension.

"“It’s something that I can easily say bye to. If I want to do it later on in my life, then I’ll enjoy it later on. I love the game of football. I don’t want anything, whatever it is — performance-enhancing drugs, marijuana, alcohol, women — that could get me in trouble and make me miss football.”"

Bell stated: “I want to change the game” in that interview, but the only thing that has changed is how he is perceived by Steelers’ Nation, and possibly the Steelers’ draft plans for 2017.

Depending on if his suspension is upheld, how he performs in the twelve games he is likely to appear in, the Steelers’ trust in him, and if another team is willing to give him the money that he feels that he is deserving of if a contract is not reached by the beginning of free agency next year, 2016 could be the last year we see Bell in a black and gold uniform.

Bell has all the talent in the world and is the most versatile running back in the game of football, but all that will be for not if he continues down a self destructive path that puts his career in jeopardy. Steelers’ Nation mocked the Cleveland Browns and Josh Gordon when their issues were top news in the league, and it seems that it has come back to haunt them tenfold.

Next: Steelers' Pre Camp Projected Depth Chart

If Le’Veon Bell is destined to finished his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there are many that would still like to see that happen, he must Focus on what matters to him the most. Time will tell what that exactly is for sure.