As expected, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell will not be at the team's organized activities which start Monday, May 21, 2018. With Bell's long-term deal with Pittsburgh still remaining in question on if and/or when it will get done, the 6th year running back has been franchise tagged for the second year in a row.
Skipping OTA's is no surprise to most, as some of the NFL's biggest stars also do so including Rams' all-pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and New York Giants' all-pro wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. In some cases, it could be a money or contract issue, whereas in other cases, veteran players sometimes feel that their experience is beyond reporting to workouts before the official start of training camp. For Bell, this will be the second consecutive season he will be choosing to skip OTA's, and will not likely report to the team until the start of the official season in September 2018.
With the Steelers applying the franchise tag to Bell, he'll earn $14.5 million this upcoming season, yet Bell has taken to social media several times already this year reiterating that he wants closer to $17 million.
"We're not coming to a number we both agree on -- they are too low, or I guess they feel I'm too high," Le'Veon Bell told ESPN in March 2018.
