Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Colbert concerned about Le’Veon Bell’s absence

Not showing up for training camp will hinder anyone. Including Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Le’Veon Bell.

During training camp, everyone is looking to see what the coaches, players and general managers have to say about the team. For the Steelers, they’ve had a very loud offseason, with headline after headline making the front page since February.

On top of the list of noise in Pittsburgh is running back, Le’Veon Bell, who, for the second straight year, was unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal with the team. So, for year number two, Bell will not be participating in training camp.

Last season, Bell started slow, averaging 3.46 yards per carry in the first three weeks. After no training camp or preseason, the effects of a non-football offseason showed when Bell returned to the team right before Week 1.

This season, the same concerns surround the running back. Even after putting up nearly 2,000 yards on the ground in 2017, his slow start lingers in the minds of coaches and staff. General Manager, Kevin Colbert, told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that even if confidence his high that Bell can turn his season into another All-Pro performance, it hurts not to have him around.

"“Did him missing training camp hurt him? He was a Pro Bowler,” Colbert said. “Did it hurt us, could he have been a better Pro Bowler? Yes, I believe so. Because I think anybody that misses training camp, be it through injury or not being here, they are not going to be as good. Was he still a Pro Bowler? Yes, he was, but from a team standpoint, which is our main focus right now, sure, to have everybody here is important. But he’s not here, so we can’t dwell on it, and all we can do is try to get better with what we’ve got.”"

Bell not showing up is a clear sign there is tension between the two parties. Two years of failed negotiations and then Todd Gurley receives a contract similar to what Bell was asking for, is leading to more problems between the two sides. But Colbert insists that despite a lot of talk from Bell and a new album coming out titled, “My Side of Things,” there is no bad blood between the team and their running back.

"“[When he gets here], he will be in top physical condition. He won’t be in top football condition,” Colbert told Fowler. “When he gets on the field, I never worry about Bell’s competitiveness. He wants to prove that he believes he is the best. So I don’t worry about that at all. He’s gonna put the team above individual goals.”"

It’ll be interesting to see how football-ready Bell is when he comes back. For now, James Conner is manning the backfield, with Jaylen Samuels taking second-team reps. Once Bell returns, the backfield could see extended reps from their backups, depending on how well they prove themselves during camp.