Why the Pittsburgh Steelers should bench Le’Veon Bell if he comes back

Le’Veon Bell Ian headed to the Pittsburgh Steelers, maybe. After another social media post, more questions arise about the running back.

The Steelers have had an ongoing drama with Le’Veon Bell that has dragged on for the past couple of years. It started when the Steelers were not able to work out an extension with Bell the offseason before his first of two franchise taggings.

It seems that Bell is after the kind of guaranteed money that Todd Gurley got. Todd Gurley got four years of 45 million dollars guaranteed on his contract.

The latest drama is that Bell has not shown up this year and has not told anybody when he will show up. Today on Twitter, Bell said:

Now, this would lead some to believe he is leaving Miami to rejoin the Steelers in Pittsburgh. It would make sense as if he does not report by 4 pm eastern time on November 13th, then he would forfeit the remaining seven million dollars he could earn from his franchise tag. He also could be re-tagged if he does not report by that deadline. He also doesn’t have the opportunity to play anywhere else under the collective bargaining agreement.

My personal view is that he should be benched if he reports to the team. He has been a distraction and has shown that he puts himself above the team. He was set to make 14 million dollars this year and then could walk into free agency. He would have made more than double what anybody on the offensive line would have made which includes All-Pro David Decastro whose cap number is roughly 5.7 million. He has taken advantage of every right he has to get back at the Steelers for not giving him his guaranteed money. Benching Le’Veon Bell would show that nobody is bigger than the team.

Of course, this move would be a luxury as James Conner has proven this year that he is capable of being the top back. Some statistics suggest that Conner is ahead of where Bell was in his second year. Obviously, there would be a point where the Steelers would need to use Bell and that would be starting week seventeen to get ready for the playoffs. I would also use Bell as the backup to James Conner.

Obviously, this move may not be the best in the short-term as Bell is an elite back, but it would send a message to Steeler players that they are serious about upholding their standards. Some say it makes the Steelers ruthless when they don’t budge, but I think its the unique character of the Pittsburgh Steelers.