Forever scarred by once watching an All-Pro player sit out an entire season, Steelers fans will always connect any contract dispute to what happened with Le’Veon Bell. And now with Pittsburgh still at a team-described “impasse” with Joey Porter Jr. less than two weeks from the start of the 2026 regular season, a former Steelers player can’t help but draw a parallel to Bell as well.
In an exclusive interview with author Ron Lippock, who runs the “Steelers Takeaways” site, former Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker Kendrell Bell shared his honest assessment of the negations with Porter and the history lesson the Le’Veon Bell situation should teach players.
“I’d say to have perspective. I look at Le’Veon Bell and his situation. Young guys don’t think about it,” said Kendrell Bell when asked about Porter by Lippock. He then elaborated even further.
“They think you can go somewhere else and always be happy. But most guys that leave learn that Pittsburgh is the best place to be in for success and happiness. You have to factor in team culture and get involved. Don’t talk through agents….You need to factor in the legacy and the culture when you make a decision. And it’s like texting – you lose context when you work through an agent. You need to go get involved in your own negotiations.”
On one hand, Kendrell Bell is right. Le’Veon Bell was never the same after freely skipping out on a full season in his prime. He was coming off back-to-back seasons that had him argue as the best running back in football, surpassing 1,000 yards rushing and 600 yards receiving in both 2016 and 2017. But after his holdout, Bell never even reached 800 yards rushing again, with a high of 789 in 2019 and only one more year even hitting 200, during time with four different teams until his career closed in 2021.
However, what Kendrell Bell is not accounting for is that, unlike with Porter Jr,, Le’Veon Bell was fighting a cause that extended beyond just his personal contract, even if indirectly. He was arguing that he should be paid as both a running back and a wide receiver, and he was actually used as both by the Steelers. He was arguing he was elite at both, and he was. He was arguing that the running back position was being disrespected, and it was, granted the shelf life of players at that position was, and still is, why teams are hesitant to shell out tons of money to any running back no matter how great.
But of course, sitting out at a position with a short life was the wrong decision and cost Bell a chance at putting statistics worthy of the Hall of Fame.
As for the dispute between Porter and the Steelers, it’s simply an argument about how valuable the player is to the franchise. While a legacy player and the son of Joey Porter Sr., who ironically played with Kendrell Bell for four seasons, the Steelers are hesitant to invest in a player who has yet to be named a Pro Bowler and has previously struggled with mental mistakes. But Porter wants paid in line with his peers, since unlike when Le’Veon Bell was holding out, the market is indicating his cornerback position is enjoying a spike from a financial perspective.
Former Steelers Player Issues Le’Veon Bell Warning to Joey Porter Jr.