The Pittsburgh Steelers may need to prepare to give the nod at starting running back to James Conner in Week 1, as Le’Veon Bell remains a no-show. Following an early report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that Bell was not present for 9am meetings on Wednesday, one reporter spoke with the running back’s agent.
Unfortunately, Eddie Borsilli of SiriusXM NFL Radio revealed that after speaking to Bell’s agent, it doesn’t seem the running back will be reporting in the near future.
The news is surprising, as it was expected Bell would return to the team ahead of Week 1, but through the first three days of preparation for the opener, that hasn’t been the case. As things currently stand, the 26-year-old has until Saturday at 4pm to report or he’ll be ruled ineligible for the opener, as Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports revealed.
Bell’s holdout last offseason ended when he reported to the Steelers on Labor Day. There’s currently no known return timeline for the three-time Pro Bowler, who reportedly turned down a deal worth $70 million over five years this offseason.
The NFL star has been named First-Team All-Pro twice and Second-Team All-Pro once. He’s totaled 5,336 rushing yards, 2,660 receiving yards and 42 combined touchdowns over 62 career games.
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Report: ‘Doesn’t Sound Like’ Le’Veon Bell Joining Steelers Soon