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The months-long saga surrounding whether or not Le'Veon Bell would play for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season was definitively determined on Tuesday.
As anticipated, Bell did not sign its Steelers franchise by the deadline set for the collective bargaining agreement. With Bell foregoing the $ 14.45 Million he was slated to make under the tag, it's unlikely to be running back down again with the Steelers.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert issued the following statement after the deadline:
"I want to confirm that Le'Veon Bell did not sign his franchise today and, as a result, he will not be eligible to play the 2018 season."
While Steelers owner Rooney Art II expressed hope that Bell would sign its franchise before the deadline and join them for their late-season push, it became clear that the second-round sign the tender since it would not have an overly adverse effect on his free agency prospects.
Mike Tomlin said Tuesday ahead of the 4 p.m. AND deadline. "And the elements of the game, relationships within the game, football-related relationships, and there is also a business element. we're sensitive to it, so we're not shocked when things happen from a business standpoint. "
As NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Aditi Kinkhabwala reported last week, with the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association agreeing to the Steelers could not use the franchise tag's second-year terms for Bell in 2019, it's almost certain the Steelers will not tag him a third straight year. That's because the third-year franchise tag would pay more than $ 20 million for one year.
"Man, I had not thought about that one iota," Tomlin said when asked if he 's considered that Bell has played his final downs for Pittsburgh. "Again, like I repeated and I mean, I'm focused on the guys that are here, we've got a lot of challenges. . "
The Steelers have two other options – let's go to where the new league begins. The transition tag is a one-year tender that would allow Bell to negotiate contract offers from other teams. The Steelers would have the right to have a good time. There is a potential dispute over Bell, Pelissero reported.
Bell said last month he believed the Steelers would ultimately place the transition tag on him.
While Bell's self-imposed exile looked to be setting the steelers for failure, especially after the team's worrisome start, James Conner's emergence as a dual-threat potent has helped cover up Bell's absence. Conner has rushed for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns in addition to tallying 387 receiving yards and a TD for a Steelers team that has won five straight.
Connie suffered a concussion in Thursday's blowout victory over the Carolina Panthers, but the Steelers are optimistic he'll clear protocol before Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As for Bell, he'll be limited to cheering on his teammates from afar as he waits for next important date in his quest to find contractual bliss. The Steelers can place him on transition tag starting Feb. 19.
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