Kevin Colbert says Pittsburgh Steelers will not transition tag Le’Veon Bell
Le’Veon Bell’s time with the Pittsburgh Steelers has officially come to an end. General Manager Kevin Colbert has made it known the team won’t transition tag the running back.
The decision has finally been made. The Pittsburgh Steelers had two major questions remaining this offseason – is Antonio Brown being traded and is Le’Veon Bell being transition tagged? Now, they know the answer to at least one.
Brown is on the trading block. Although the Steelers won’t take anything less than what the wide receiver is worth, they’re still searching for a new home for their biggest star.
For Le’Veon Bell, he was still waiting to hear whether or not he’d be transition tagged this spring. With less than a month left before free agency, Steelers’ General Manager Kevin Colbert announced that the team will not tag Bell, allowing him to enter the open market in March.
Steelers are not tagging Le'Veon Bell, according to GM Kevin Colbert: "Le’Veon is still a great player. We can’t afford to use any other type of tags. Le’Veon will be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year."
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 20, 2019
Many believed the Steelers would tag Bell this offseason, allowing them to see what team makes an offer before they decide what to do with the running back. Instead, they’ll allow him to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Bell will be the hottest name this spring. He’s made it known the last two years he’s looking to reset the running back market and won’t take anything less. Fans will be interested to see whether or not a team offers him his $17 million a year with $60 million guaranteed.
At 27-years-old, Bell remains one of the best backs in the league and a significant addition to any organization that signs him.
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This is step one of the offseason complete for the Steelers. Now, they’ll be focused on moving Brown and signing free agents before the draft. Morgan Burnett’s release will also become a priority as the team moves closer to the March 17 market deadline.