Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell told ESPN he is playing football in 2018 and does not expect to be traded.
In fact, he still has hope the team will re-sign him to a long-term contract once his franchise tag is up. Bell is staying away from the team to preserve his body, but a source said Bell is expected to report during the Week 7-8 time frame. The Steelers are on a bye in Week 7.
Bell plans to be ready for the Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 28 in Pittsburgh and will decide how much practice time he needs accordingly, a source said.
Bell, who is still sitting out while refusing to sign his franchise tender, said he’s in prime physical condition and could play football “tomorrow” if he needed. He added he’ll be “fully committed” to playing his best for Pittsburgh upon his return.
“It sucks having to sit out football,” Bell said by telephone from South Florida on Monday. “I want to play. I want to win games and the playoffs.
“But I’ve gotta take this stand. Knowing my worth and knowing I can tear a ligament or get surgery at any time, I knew I couldn’t play 16 games with 400 or more touches.”
Sitting out the entire season was never an option, Bell said. He wants to play for the love of the game and to remind others what he can do, with or without the ball.
“I’ve gotta show people,” he said.
The Steelers are exploring trade options for Bell, though Bell believes he can stay with the team. The Steelers told Bell during franchise-tag negotiations that they would transition-tag him in 2019, which would set the stage for Bell to negotiate with other teams while Pittsburgh holds his rights. The 2019 transition-tag number is expected to be more than $17 million.
