Getty Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell
There have been a number of holdouts over the years in the NFL, but Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is on the verge of one of the most intense. While Bell is obviously frustrated he and the team couldn’t come to terms on a contract extension this offseason, it was expected he would return to the Steelers ahead of Week 1 and sign his franchise tender.
That wound up not being the case, and after missing Week 1, the 26-year-old running back is well on his way to missing the Steelers’ second game as well. The situation has been tough to gauge, but recently one analyst dropped a strong belief on how it may play out.
NBC Sports and Rotoworld Football analyst Pat Daugherty answered a wide range of fantasy question, one of which was about Bell. When asked by a fantasy owner when he should trade James Conner, Daugherty revealed an interesting opinion.
“I think Le’Veon Bell might be going full Vincent Jackson at this point. Sitting out 10 games, coming back in time to get that accrued season – so much bad blood there.” Daugherty responded.
He’s not wrong, and the decision would make sense for Bell. Obviously, it would leave a lot of frustrated fantasy football owners (or happy ones, if you own James Conner), but Bell pulling the infamous “Vincent Jackson” would be a big move.
This all began when Jackson sat out in 2010 for the first 10 weeks of the season, returning just one day prior to the deadline. If Jackson had not shown up at that point, he wouldn’t have become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Fantasy Impact of Bell’s Potential Extended Absence
This is where it gets tough to gauge because if Bell wants to get his weekly game checks, he has to show up. But at this point, after missing the first game and likely missing Week 2, fans and fantasy owners have no reason to believe he’ll have a quick change of heart in Week 3, Week 4 or any other beyond that ahead of the deadline.
Obviously, if Bell does choose to return following Week 10, it’ll mean eight more games (Week 7 bye) of Conner running the show. The second-year back is coming off a 135-yard rushing game with two touchdowns. The second-year running back also caught five passes for 57 yards, showcasing his ability to make plays in all aspects of the Steelers offense.
As things stand, Conner is the fantasy back to own, and if you’re planning to trade him, it means you have a strong belief Bell will be back sooner than later. And honestly, that doesn’t seem like a safe bet currently.
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